Maresca has the examples to follow as Chelsea visits Liverpool this Sunday.

The upcoming clash with Liverpool this Sunday is shaping up to be one of the toughest challenges for both teams.

Whichever side comes out on top will see their strong start turn into something truly special. For Chelsea’s manager, Enzo Maresca, it’s also a timely reminder of the task at hand: to guide Chelsea back to the level they reached under Thomas Tuchel.

Chelsea has been slowly but surely finding its rhythm again. In their last 22 Premier League matches, they’ve only lost twice – and that was to Arsenal and Manchester City. Heading to Anfield this weekend, they’re looking like serious contenders for a top-four finish this season.

Maresca has had an impressive start, and the buzz around Chelsea’s heavy spending and large squad has calmed down. One of the standout achievements of his early days is how much Chelsea feels like a real team again. As a manager, one of the most important things you can do is foster the right culture in the dressing room, ensuring everyone is united and looking out for each other. At the start of last season, and even into this one, the concern was that there were too many players for that kind of togetherness to be possible. But recently, that worry seems to have faded.

Perhaps Chelsea being in the Europa Conference League is a blessing in disguise, as it allows Maresca to keep everyone involved. But tougher challenges will come, especially if they make it back into the Champions League and he has to settle on a more fixed starting XI. For now, though, he deserves credit for steering the ship in the right direction, even if they’re not quite at their best yet.

Chelsea of Trophies

The Premier League and Champions League have had to adjust to life without Chelsea being one of the main challengers. Even when their form was inconsistent, managers like Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte, and Thomas Tuchel still delivered trophies, including league titles and the Champions League. Not long ago, a “transitional period” at Chelsea might’ve meant settling for a Europa League or FA Cup win, but times have changed.

When Roman Abramovich sold the club to Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, the process of bringing back Chelsea’s glory days began, though it’s been a rocky road. While there’s been a lot of debate about some of the decisions made, especially the departures of Tuchel and Pochettino, it’s clear Maresca is doing well so far – particularly in helping Cole Palmer shine. Palmer is proving to be a real game-changer, and having a coach who already knew him from their time at Manchester City seems to be paying off.

At the start of the season, it seemed a bit too early to think Chelsea could make the top four, but Palmer’s performances have made a huge difference. Now, it’s starting to feel like they can do it – and given the amount of investment in the team, that’s exactly where they should be aiming.

If Palmer were at Liverpool, it’s easy to imagine Arne Slot would be pushing for the title in his first season. That’s how good Palmer is, currently averaging more goal contributions per game than Stamford Bridge legends like Didier Drogba and Diego Costa.

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Facing Liverpool at Anfield is always one of the toughest tests, especially with Slot looking to keep Liverpool at the top of the Premier League. A win for either team would turn a good start into an excellent one, but a loss could raise questions about how much further they need to go to reach the level they’re aiming for. That’s just the nature of the game when top teams meet.

There’s been some talk about both teams having an “easy” fixture schedule so far, but I don’t buy into that. Slot himself has downplayed Liverpool’s early success, but every win in the Premier League counts, whether it’s against a top side or a so-called “routine” victory. It’s easy to trip up in this league, so every three points should be celebrated.

While this season is still unfolding, it feels like Chelsea is fighting for a top-four finish, while Liverpool may be more likely to challenge Arsenal and City for the title again. A great season requires beating the teams you’re expected to and the big rivals – and both Liverpool and Chelsea are on their way to doing just that.

Chelsea is already six points better off compared to last season, and Liverpool’s win against Manchester United at Old Trafford shows they mean business, too. Right now, it seems like Chelsea is battling for that fourth spot, while Liverpool is aiming for the title.

The rivalry between the two teams.

The rivalry between these two teams has always had an edge, and this Sunday’s game could be a spark for more intense clashes in the future. Whether it was Mourinho vs. Benitez in those epic Champions League encounters or Klopp vs. Tuchel in more recent times, Liverpool and Chelsea have a rich history of high-stakes battles.

Maresca and Slot might be part of a new generation of more analytical managers, but there’s always the potential for fireworks in this fixture (remember Lampard’s heated moment with Klopp back in 2020?). Chelsea’s recent transfer wins, like beating Liverpool to the signings of Caicedo and Lavia, have only added fuel to the fire. And let’s not forget Gary Neville’s cheeky “billion-pound bottle jobs” comment after Liverpool’s Carabao Cup win – that’s surely still on Chelsea’s mind.

If the rivalry heats up again, it’s good news for both clubs and for the Premier League. Liverpool vs. Chelsea could provide the competition that ensures Guardiola and Arteta don’t dominate the title race for the next few years.

There’s still a long way to go for both Maresca and Slot, but I have a feeling this Sunday’s match might just be the first of many exciting showdowns between these two managers in the years to come.