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Maresca Chelsea Wrexham GFXGetty/GOAL
Tom Hindle

Enzo Maresca has work to do! Winners & losers as Chelsea turn in sloppy performance against Wrexham in new boss' first contest

The London club were far from convincing, and didn't deserve more than a draw against the League One side

Enzo Maresca has his wake up call - and it only took one game. Pre-season can't be read into too much, especially at this stage. But an inconsistent Chelsea were equally matched - if not outplayed - by a disciplined Wrexham side in a 2-2 draw in their first friendly of their United States tour.

Maresca tried to implement his system here: Three at the back, wing-backs who push up, some trendy inversion from wide players who stepped into midfield. At times, it looked rather good, Chelsea piecing together some flowing attacking moves - but were let down by individual mistakes and mishaps in the final third. But at others, they looked confused and disorganized, and far too easy to play against.

After a frustrating opening 30 minutes, Chelsea grabbed the lead through Christopher Nkunku, who bashed his effort home from close range after a messy sequence. Further goals really should have come - such was the Blues' command of the ball and territory in the Wrexham half.

But a much-changed side rather struggled in the second half. Wrexham were good value for their equaliser, Luke Bolton sneaking in at the far post for an easy tap-in after an hour. They added a second 10 minutes later, Jack Marriott darting through the collapsing Chelsea defence before stroking the ball into the far corner. A late Lesley Ugochukwu strike saw out an appropriate draw.

And what was learned from all of this? Results for Chelsea, in a material sense, really don't matter here. Rather, this was a game to find positives in, to see the edges of a team forming. And you'd have to look very closely to find one. Chelsea were good in the first half, but simply woeful in the second - their defence constantly collapsing.

Wrexham, meanwhile, can take heart from a good all-round performance, one that showed they can really play with the big boys once the season starts.

GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from Levi's Stadium...

  • Christopher Nkunku Chelsea 2024-25Getty

    WINNER: Christopher Nkunku

    Chelsea fans had every reason to be excited about Nkunku when the Blues brought him in last year. After all, he was an elite presence at RB Leipzig in the 2022-23 season, and arguably the best player in the Bundesliga for long stretches of the season.

    But like so many, he saw his campaign impacted by injuries - and never really found a groove at Stamford Bridge. That, of course, will have to change this year, especially if he stays fit. His role here is unclear, but with Nico Jackson not quite reliable enough to carry the goalscoring load, someone will have to chip in. Nkunku's tidy finish was a fine start.

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  • Enzo Maresca Chelsea 2024-25David Gonzales-USA TODAY Sports

    LOSER: Enzo Maresca

    Growing pains were always going to be a part of this preseason for Chelsea. Maresca, after all, is a new manager, overseeing a team with too many players, trying to implement an entirely new style. Throw in the fact that he will certainly have his critics as a coach given his lack of top flight experience, and this was never going to be easy. It proved as such. Chelsea didn't get the expected result here, and were simply abysmal after the break.

    There were positives to be found. This was hardly a thriller, there were the outlines of a new team here. The build up structure was in place in the first half. The full-backs inverted. Forwards made the right runs, and, at times, his team looked deadly on the break.

    Still, some of the defending was simply woeful. He has work to do if Chelsea are to push for Europe this year.

  • Rob McElhenney Ryan Reynolds split 2024Getty Images

    WINNER: Rob McElhenney & Ryan Reynolds

    This must be made clear: Wrexham are a pretty good football team. Now in League One, the celebrity-owned side have improved year-by-year, and have gone toe-to-toe with two Premier League sides over the past week.

    What started as something of a vanity project has become a bit more serious. Whether the celebrity owners truly believed that this team might be reasonably good or not is up for debate, but they played some good stuff here. Yes, they are further into their preseason than Chelsea. Yes, it is only a friendly. But this was a classic performance from a lower division side against a Premier League team: disciplined, clever and brave. They're not just a documentary anymore.

  • Ben Chilwell England 2024Getty Images

    LOSER: Ben Chilwell

    After his omission from Gareth Southgate's Euro 2024 squad, you would figure that Chilwell would come into this game looking to make a statement. After all, the vice-captain might have felt every right to be aggrieved when the then-England manager refused to take a left-footed left-back to the tournament.

    If there was any additional fire about him, it clearly wasn't on display here. Chilwell was sloppy from his introduction, making countless loose passes, and failing to connect with the players in front of him. He was also at fault for Wrexham's goal, getting his positioning all wrong at the far post and allowing an easy tap-in.

  • Romeo LaviaGetty

    WINNER: Romeo Lavia

    Well, Lavia is alive. The former Southampton man spent most of last season on the sidelines with various ankle injuries after securing a big-money move in the final days of the transfer window. It was a largely frustrating campaign for a player who had promised so much, so young in a defensive midfield role for the Saints.

    It was of encouragement, then, that he was able to start here. And he turned in a solid performance at the base of midfield. Chelsea were a poor watch for the most part, but Lavia remained clean in central areas, moving the ball and covering gaps when needed. Yes, this was one game - and there will have to be more of them. Still, Lavia showed glimpses of what he might be able to offer.

  • Tyrique George Chelsea 2024-25Getty

    LOSER: Chelsea's squad depth

    So much for having too many players to work with. A lot has been made of Chelsea's squad. Even after some pretty extensive outgoings - with more surely to come - this is still an overstuffed thing. That has its benefits, of course. Maresca, in theory, has a wealth of talent to dip into - something he will need to do with his team fighting on four fronts.

    But the second half revealed that he might not have as much to work with as he thought. He made 10 changes at the break, and few of the substitutes can say they affected the game in a positive way. Yes, some guys were missing here. Others were on holiday after Euro 2024 or Copa America. Despite all of that, there remains some fat to trim.