The latest match of round 22 of the Premier League will be the match at Stamford Bridge between the home team Chelsea and the visitors Wolves. After a period of sublimation, The Blues could be pushed away from the group with a ticket to the Champions League if they do not beat Wolves.
After a good period of playing, Chelsea are currently winless in their last 5 Premier League appearances. In contrast to the early stages of the season and the recent consecutive winning period, the home form of Enzo Maresca's team is very poor. The goal of Top 4 seems very easy but is now extremely difficult. Maresca once said that he could not put Chelsea on par with Liverpool, Arsenal or Man City and that has been completely proven true.
If using home field criteria to rank Premier League teams before round 22, Chelsea is in the main middle with 17 points after 10 matches. On the contrary, if considering the criteria for away matches, The Blues are in 3rd place with 24 points after 11 matches, only behind Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.
Enzo Maresca is aware of this. In a press conference before the match against Wolves, the Italian captain said that Chelsea had to win at home at all costs. Maresca shared that if Chelsea win all away games between now and the end of the season, then it will be fine if they draw a few times at home. However, the goal of winning all away matches until the end of the season is almost impossible, so there needs to be a balance of form between playing at home and away.
The final result when the season ends is the most important thing, but to be more enthusiastically supported by fans, Maresca needs to win at Stamford Bridge more. Wolves are in a relegation race, so the upcoming match is the best opportunity for The Blues to quench their thirst for 3 points at Stamford Bridge.
Understanding the importance of every home appearance, Maresca has had many ways to rekindle his pride in the True Blues at Stamford Bridge. After each match, the 44-year-old coach always goes around to thank the fans in a very sincere way. A few weeks ago, in the Stamford Bridge stands, we heard the sounds of "Our Chelsea is back".
Currently, that line is temporarily disappearing and the task of Maresca and his team is to find a way to make it appear again.
For Enzo Maresca, everything is not just a call-up, everything must be concretized by tactics and achievements on the pitch. Also at the press conference before the match against Wolves, he somewhat realized the difference to be able to adjust.
"When playing away, with teams playing proactive defense, we are calmer because we are not too hasty. Meanwhile, at home, sometimes the whole team wants to play quickly because we want to show the fans the positivity. This is probably a mistake when facing teams playing deep defense, it is only effective if the opponent plays pressing.
In the match against Bournemouth, they pressed high. Chelsea attacked quite despite the trio of Nicolas Jackson, Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernandez. If they had played like that away, the result would have been better" - Maresca shared about the 2-2 draw with Bournemouth at home in the context of The Blues escaping in the extra time after opening the score.
If Chelsea beat Wolves in the next match, their home form could improve from now until the end of the season. In 8/9 consecutive matches played at Stamford Bridge from now until the end of the season, Enzo Maresca's team only has to meet teams currently ranked 12th on the rankings and below. It was a good opportunity to improve their form at Stamford Bridge, but Chelsea should not forget, they must keep a good streak every time they leave West London.
