Maresca blames Chelsea draw vs Brentford on inability to defend transitions & set-pieces | OneFootball

Chelsea stuttered to a 2-2 draw in their fourth Premier League clash of the season, with the Blues held by Brentford.

A much-changed Chelsea side struggled as manager Enzo Maresca rotated the team to keep his Blues fresh for their Champions League clash with Bayern Munich.

Unfortunately, the lack of cohesion from the second-string Chelsea side was evident when Brentford took the lead via a ruthless transition finished by Kevin Schade.

Even when big hitters like Cole Palmer and Reece James came on to change the game, turning the scoreline on its head, the Blues still looked susceptible.

Chelsea conceded a late goal in the 93rd minute after atrocious defending from a long throw.

The Blues were denied three points, even though many would argue they didn’t deserve it.

Maresca highlighted Chelsea’s inability to deal with transitions, set-pieces and manage the game as a reason for the draw.

The Italian tactician said (via the BBC): “It’s a shame because we conceded in 93/94 minutes and we could manage better that moment.

“You have to be able to avoid transitions and set pieces – they scored from transitions and set pieces.

“It’s something we deal quite well with during the game, but in the end, we concede, and it’s a shame.”

Considering Brentford’s reputation in transition and the fact that manager Keith Andrews was a former set-piece coach, Chelsea should have done better.

Defender Tosin Adarabioyo had a bad day. Jorrel Hato struggled to find his groove while Wesley Fofana was understandably rusty, leaving Chelsea weak at the back.

The lack of understanding in defensive positioning by new attackers like Jamie Gittens and Facundo Buonanotte also didn’t help.

Chelsea will hope to bounce back when they take on Bayern in mid-week, but that’ll be a tall order for the West Londoners based on this showing.