Former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson has slammed Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca for his team selection during the Blues’ 0-0 draw against Brentford on Sunday.
Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, Marc Cucurella, Pedro Neto and Levi Colwill were all named on the substitutes bench at the Gtec Community Stadium, with Maresca rotating his squad ahead of Chelsea’s Europa Conference League quarter-final first-leg clash versus Legia Warsaw on Thursday.
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However, a lacklustre first-half performance followed and Chelsea were ultimately forced to settle for a point, despite the introduction of Palmer, Jackon, Cucurella and Neto in the second-half.
Chelsea remain in fourth place in the Premier League table, but they are now only two points clear of Aston Villa in seventh and they face a tricky set of fixtures to end the campaign, with matches versus Fulham, Liverpool, Newcastle United, Manchester United and Nottingham Forest on the agenda.
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Enzo Maresca slammed by Paul Merson
In his latest Sky Sports column, Merson was eager to slam Maresca for prioritising the Europa Conference League over the Premier League.
“I couldn’t believe the team Enzo Maresca put out at Brentford. When that team came out, I was flabbergasted. It was pathetic,” Merson wrote.
“Chelsea have won the Champions League. This is the Europa Conference League – and he’s resting players for it?
“Getting into the Champions League has to be the be all and end all. They have to be in it. If they come sixth in the Premier League and win the Europa Conference League, it would be a shocker. A shocker.
“This is Legia Warsaw, no disrespect to them but they won’t beat Chelsea over two legs. You have to beat Brentford.
Merson added: “Maresca won’t win me over until the end of May. People tell me that Chelsea are doing well, but they’ve got one of the biggest squads in the world and they aren’t even close to winning the Premier League.
“And these players are going to be together for the next six or seven years because of their contracts. It’s madness, absolutely madness.
“Six big-money players are currently out on loan because they aren’t playing so it might be an absolute disaster if they do not get Champions League football next season.”
