Over the past week, and especially the result against Arsenal, has marked what coach Enzo Maresca has worked hard to build. Chelsea have responded to the long-standing doubts since the beginning of the season.
The past 5 days have been a story revolving around 2 red cards. While Barcelona collapsed after Ronald Araujo was sent off in the first half at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea found their energy in Moises Caicedo's red card against Arsenal.
"Reece James was right, it should have been a red card. I don't understand why referees handle similar situations differently. Caicedo was sacked, but why wasn't Bentancur given a red card for fouling Reece against Tottenham before? We are really confused by how they judge," said the Chelsea captain.
It would be easy to rely on a red card as an excuse. But Chelsea's goal in less than 3 minutes after entering the second half said a completely different story.
Reece James' emotional corner kick found the right spot for Trevoh Chalobah to jump high to head, overcome Declan Rice and hit the post and go into the net, opening the score 1-0 for Chelsea.
It was the English defender's third Premier League goal of the season, and all three came from set pieces. Only Arsenal (8 goals) have scored more corners than Chelsea (7) in the current season. This is a testament to the effectiveness of the set pieces that Maresca has built.
During the early stages of Todd Boehly's reign, people have questioned Chelsea's fighting spirit and cohesion in the dressing room. These are problems that are further aggravated by a formation so large that it is difficult to manage.
Even under Mauricio Pochettino's gradual rebuilding process, Chelsea's weakness in fighting spirit has always been the "achilles heel". And sometimes it has become a barrier for Maresca himself in the future.
However, after 18 months in charge, his performance against Arsenal - more than any other performance - will be seen as a standard measure. It is a " design" of spirit that Maresca wants to aim for The Blues.
Chelsea have been folding their sleeves, ready to play ugly football when needed, using tricks and combat-rich moves to limit Arsenal's strength. They are ready to kill and resist, even when playing with 10 men.
Especially in the last hour of the match, Chelsea showed their superior bravery - even more impressive than their journey to win the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 or their return to the Champions League last season.
These are built on Maresca's smart tactical foundation. The rest is the mental strength that he has aroused in the team.
"What I am most proud of is the spirit of the players. Arsenal are the strongest team in England, but when we have 11 men, we play better than them. Even with only 10 men, Chelsea are still fighting to the end" - Maresca added.
