Maresca suffers miserable reunion with Pep as Haaland bags hat-trick

CHELSEA’S Premier League opener against Manchester City already looked a tall order before the champions tore through them in Ohio.

Enzo Maresca faced his former club, and mentor Pep Guardiola, who offered a reminder of just how hard changing the style of a club is overnight.

Against a second string City team, which included Erling Haaland and Jack Grealish but mainly academy graduates, the Blues’ failings were ruthlessly exposed.

Maresca has been pleased with the improvement on the ball across their first three pre-season games, against Wrexham, Celtic and Club America.

But there was a significant step back here as his side faced a Premier League team for the first time.

Each of City’s four goals, three of which were scored by Haaland, had an element of Chelsea passing poorly or overplaying in the build-up.

Tosin Adarabioyo handed possession over in the box just before Haaland won a penalty in the second minute.

Moises Caicedo gifted the City No9 the ball moments later for his second before mistakes on the ball from Raheem Sterling and Malo Gusto ahead of the third and fourth goals.

Chelsea did hit back through subs Sterling and Noni Madueke both scoring fine goals and – given the way they started – things could have been a lot worse.

However, the concern will be that if this is how the Chelsea players crumble under pressure from a second string side – what on earth will happen against a full strength Manchester City side in two weeks.

Maresca said: "Very strange game to be honest.

"Sometimes when we say some things it sounds like an excuse. The pitch doesn't help to play the way we like to play.

"The ball has to be quick and these pitches slow down the ball. More than the goals we concede we need to learn when we concede one not to play back. That is the moment to become more strong.

"I am not concerned because I know it takes a bit of time to understand.

"We continue in the same way, we don't need to do anything different. We don't like to lose games but we are convinced the direction is the perfect one."

Guardiola, who Maresca worked with as an assistant during Manchester City’s treble winning season, said: "It happened because of the pitch conditions, at Stamford Bridge that would not happen.

"I saw what Enzo wanted to do and I like it."

Romeo Lavia continued to be a bright spark – brave on the ball and confident in his ability to get out of tight spots.

The Belgian breaks play up well and can deliver a killer pass, as shown by the ball threaded down the right to tee set Madueke going for his late goal.