“I [have been watching] Sunderland since last season when the new manager arrived,” Maresca explained, revealing that his……..
“I [have been watching] Sunderland since last season when the new manager arrived,” Maresca explained, revealing that his……..
As the Premier League season unfolds, its narrative is being shaped not just by the established titans, but by the audacious newcomers who refuse to follow the script. This weekend, one of the most intriguing subplots will be written at Stamford Bridge, where a confident Chelsea, under Enzo Maresca, host a surprisingly resilient Sunderland. Ahead of the clash, the Italian manager has delivered his verdict on the Black Cats and their coach, Régis Le Bris, striking a tone of significant respect and caution that belies the clubs’ contrasting statures.
Despite the stark difference in resources and expectation, the league table tells a compelling story of early-season parity. Sunderland, who had to navigate the gruelling gauntlet of the Championship play-offs to secure their promotion, have taken to the top flight with remarkable ease. They currently sit a respectable seventh in the table, amassing 14 points from their opening fixtures. The most striking statistic, however, is that they are only behind their upcoming hosts, fifth-placed Chelsea, on goal difference alone. This context is not lost on Maresca, who is clearly preparing his team for a challenge far beyond what many outsiders might anticipate.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Friday, the Chelsea boss was effusive in his praise for the newly promoted side. He did not dismiss them as a lucky newcomer but instead highlighted the cohesive qualities that have defined their successful start. “I think they have shown since the season started that they are a very good team, they play together, they work together, they play as a team,” Maresca stated, pinpointing the collective spirit that often separates successful underdogs from the rest.
He further grounded his assessment in the cold, hard reality of the league standings, noting, “Also, in terms of results, they have the same points as us, so they are showing how good they are doing since they started.” This acknowledgment is a classic Maresca tactic—rooting his analysis in fact and demanding his players afford their opponents the utmost respect. He expanded this philosophy to the league as a whole, dismissing any notion of an easy fixture. “And the game, it’s a Premier League game, I don’t think there is any game that can be easy, they are all difficult games,” he added, a sentiment that underscores the competitive nature of the modern Premier League, where any team can prove to be a potential banana skin.
What lends further weight to Maresca’s analysis is his intimate familiarity with the Championship and Sunderland’s recent journey. Having spent last season managing Leicester City in the second tier, he witnessed firsthand the brutality and quality required to escape it. This experience has given him a unique perspective on Sunderland’s achievements, tracing their current form back to the previous campaign.
“I [have been watching] Sunderland since last season when the new manager arrived,” Maresca explained, revealing that his scouting of Régis Le Bris’s team is not a recent development. “They are doing very good not just from this season but from last season.” This insight is crucial. He is not viewing Sunderland as a flash in the pan but as a team with a solid foundation built over time. He recognises that their current Premier League success is a continuation of a project instigated by Le Bris, one that bore the ultimate fruit of promotion and has now seamlessly transitioned into the top flight.
For Chelsea, this game represents a different kind of test. It is not a clash against a direct rival for the title, but a potential trap game against a well-drilled, fearless, and tactically coherent opponent. Maresca’s public comments are undoubtedly mirrored by his private team talks, where he will be warning his star-studded squad against any hint of complacency. The challenge will be to break down a team that plays with unity and conviction, and whose confidence is growing with each positive result.
As Stamford Bridge prepares for the visit of Sunderland, the narrative is set. It is the expensively assembled project of Chelsea against the organic, collective force of Régis Le Bris’s Black Cats. In Enzo Maresca, they face a manager who sees them not as a plucky underdog, but as a genuine and formidable threat. His public verdict is more than just pre-match politeness; it is a clear signal that Chelsea are braced for a battle, fully aware that in today’s Premier League, the past guarantees nothing, and every point must be earned the hard way.
