Enzo Maresca has issued a warning to his Chelsea squad, emphasizing that they cannot rely on Cole Palmer to “solve all our problems” as they prepare for a challenging stretch of Premier League matches, beginning with Liverpool this Sunday.
Following the Anfield clash, the head coach will be without suspended defenders Marc Cucurella and Wesley Fofana.
The Londoners are also set to host Newcastle before travelling to Old Trafford to face Manchester United.
Arsenal will then visit Stamford Bridge, marking a rigorous three-week period that will put the potential displayed in Maresca’s first seven games under intense scrutiny, particularly as the team aims for a top-four finish.
Currently sitting in fourth place in the league, Palmer has been a key figure in Chelsea’s strong start, netting six goals in seven matches.
This includes a record-breaking performance against Brighton, where he became the first Premier League player to score four goals in a single half.
Despite having a wealth of talent at his disposal, Maresca, who has successfully rotated different lineups for league and cup matches without sacrificing the team’s rhythm or consistency, has warned against becoming overly reliant on Palmer.
“If we think that Cole is going to solve all our problems, it’s a big mistake,” he stated.
“We put all the pressure on his shoulders and that is wrong.”
Reflecting on his squad’s depth, Maresca added: “Also because we have Cole but we have many players that are doing well; Noni (Madueke), Pedro (Neto), Nicolas (Jackson), Christo (Christopher Nkunku), Enzo (Fernandez).
“It’s not just about Cole, it’s about all the squad.”
“I don’t see in this moment Chelsea being close to these kind of clubs, for many reasons,” he concluded.
“But for sure we work every day to be close to (Liverpool), knowing it requires us to work together day by day, time to approach and go close.”
He continued, “The only way to try to be close is just to be focused on the things we need to improve.
“To think where we can to be in four games, its a bit difficult. The only thing I can say is that we want to try to do our best Sunday.
“I consider the City game our best this season, for many reasons.
“First of all because I know City, and second because we really played a good game, didn’t concede many chances.
“We had many chances before and after they scored.
“Game after game we are improving different things, but that game was a good game.”
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