Chelsea are… good. It’s happened, confusing plot points have converged under Enzo Maresca’s wing to look like a force in the making.
Chelsea alighted in east London on Saturday and made mincemeat of struggling West Ham United, with Nicolas Jackson scoring twice inside 20 minutes and Cole Palmer sealing the victory with a swept finish after good work from his striker, who now has four goals and two assists across five Premier League matches.
It’s been a fine start to the season that has put to bed any grumbles around the decision to part ways with Mauricio Pochettino at the end of the 2024/25 campaign.
Pochettino steadied the ship somewhat but Stamford Bridge now has its project manager ready to lead Chelsea to glory once again. The transfer strategy under Todd Boehly and Co has seen a remarkable influx of talent but Maresca is wrapping such players up and igniting the talent at their core.
Follow Followed Enzo Maresca Born 10th February 1980Birthplace Pontecagnano Faiano (Italy)Position Head coach of ChelseaChampionships Held x1 English Championship
Malo Gusto is set to return to the squad after missing the past three matches in all competitions. With Reece James’ interminable injury woes dragging further through the dirt, it would be prudent not to throw Gusto back in too deep, and, with that in mind, Joshua Acheampong might be in line for a surprise start.
Why Chelsea should unleash Joshua Acheampong
Acheampong, 18, has risen through the ranks at the Cobham Academy and could now be ready to earn regular appearances for the Chelsea first team.
The Blues have fielded Axel Disasi and Wesley Fofana in makeshift right-back roles across the past few weeks to combat the injury situation, but Acheampong could now grasp the opportunity to make a real impact in his natural position, and perhaps make it his own under Maresca’s leadership.
He also has a natural attacking prowess that makes a telling comment about his multi-functionality and capacity to succeed on the major stage. Of course, defending is still his bread and butter: against Tottenham Hotspur in May, Chelsea hung on to win 2-0 and owe much to Acheampong’s performance, short but significant.
Indeed, he expertly blocked three shots and staved off any brewing threat of a last-gasp comeback. It was three days before his 18th birthday, so quite the time to make your top-flight debut and indeed impress.
Acheampong has graced the field on the senior stage just once so far, coming on for the last five minutes against Spurs in the Premier League last year. Now, he might be ready to return, allowing Maresca’s team to enjoy a natural pick on the defensive right flank.
Right-back
24
5
4
Centre-back
4
0
1
Left-back
2
0
0
As you can see, he’s positionally flexible, though does tend to stick to the right flank. Last season, across all competitions and at various youth levels, the teenager made 18 appearances (on top of his senior showing), building a good amount of experience that suggests he could thrive against Barrow.
Maresca was recently quizzed on whether he would include Acheampong in the starting line-up any time soon, though was coy and spoke of ‘moderating’ the emphasis heaped on talented youngsters still sat in their fledgeling phase.
Still, Chelsea don’t have a fit and natural right-back available at the moment and this could be the perfect opportunity for a teenage talent to make his mark. Barrow, with all due respect, should be comprehensively defeated later.
That said, Stephen Clemence’s side are table toppers and full of confidence. Strange things have happened in such contests.
Balance and fluency will be key. Journalist and youth scout Antonio Mango has compiled a report on the 18-year-old, praising his pace and relentless running and aggressive and combative approach to defensive play that allows him to dispossess opponents and protect his keeper’s backline.
Therefore, this would be the perfect opportunity to hand Acheampong a maiden starting berth as a professional. No disrespect to Barrow, but there’s a good chance that they could be the team of the lowest station that Chelsea compete against this year.
Acheampong is bound to feature alongside a wealth of more experienced stars, should he indeed start, and thus he could be the perfect option – perhaps if he impresses, he will even hand Maresca an exciting new option amid an injury-affected right-back area.
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