Are Chelsea subs good enough – or should Enzo Maresca be blamed?
As Villa manager Unai Emery’s changes swung the game in their favour, Maresca’s substitutes made little impact.
Star attacker Cole Palmer reacted furiously to being taken off in the 72nd minute for 18-year-old Estevao Willian, while the decision to withdraw Marc Cucurella drew criticism – though it was later revealed that the Spaniard had a potential hamstring issue.
Maresca’s substitutions have faced scrutiny before, notably in defeats with 10 men against Manchester United and Brighton earlier this season. Atalanta forward Charles De Ketelaere even suggested they “drop” in the second half after his side came from behind to beat Chelsea in their Champions League game in Italy earlier this month.
While Maresca’s changes have occasionally worked, it has usually been when resting key players. In the Carabao Cup against Nottingham Forest, Brentford and Cardiff City, he rotated heavily but ultimately relied on star players to secure wins.
This has sparked a chicken-and-egg debate: some blame the lack of quality on the fringes of the squad, while others question Maresca’s handling of certain players.
Asked about the issue by BBC Sport, Maresca smiled before replying: “No, I think it’s in general.”
That guarded response came after a defeat defined by substitutes.
Villa’s quintet of Watkins, Amadou Onana, former Chelsea loanee Jadon Sancho, Lucas Digne and Lamare Bogarde, had an average age of over 26.
Chelsea, meanwhile, made four changes – Estevao Willian, Jamie Gittens, Liam Delap and Malo Gusto – with an average age of under 21.
In terms of attacking impact, Estevao has delivered five goals and an assist since moving to Stamford Bridge, but injury-hit Delap has scored just once, as has Gittens, albeit having also delivered five assists in all competitions.
“It’s probably how we can improve after we concede a goal, to manage the game a little bit better, in terms of experience game after game,” says Maresca.
Chelsea rely on youth, and have had minimal impact from their changes in the Premier League this season.
The average age of their starting XI is 24 years and 219 days, while substitutes average 21 years and 349 days – both are the youngest in the league.
Alongside Arsenal, Chelsea make the earliest changes, averaging their first substitution at 48 minutes, often at half-time. Despite this, their substitutes have contributed only three goals and one assist in the league this season.
