"They start playing better" – Chelsea legend Gus Poyet highlights key reasons behind Enzo Maresca's flying start at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea great Gus Poyet has suggested that new Blues head coach Enzo Maresca has been aided by his players' growing maturity and the lack of injuries this season.

Maresca, who replaced Mauricio Pochettino earlier this summer, has guided his side to a fine start in the ongoing 2024-25 campaign. The ex-Manchester City assistant coach has helped the Blues register 11 wins and just four defeats in 19 matches across competitions so far.

Ahead of Chelsea's 2-1 Premier League triumph at Leicester City on Saturday (November 23), Poyet opined on Maresca's start to life at the west London outfit. He told ChelseaNews.com:

"I think the important thing here is that all these players that we're talking [about]... they're playing regularly now. Two years ago, they were very, very young. They didn't know the Premier League. They were coming into a different kind of lifestyle."

Poyet, who represented the Blues between 1997 and 2001, continued:

"We knew that most of them – not all – I would say 75% of them or 80% of them – two years later – they will be better. Everybody knew that. I mean the ones who didn't know, they don't pay attention to young player development. So, I think the timing of the arrival for Maresca at Chelsea is better than the timing when Graham Potter got the job and especially, Mauricio Pochettino."

Suggesting that Maresca has been lucky with injuries, Poyet concluded:

"He has trained the team very well. He is consistent in the selection of the team. I think that we know the eight or nine players who will play when it's an important game. That didn't happen in the last two years because of the quantity of players and injuries. And also because when you get the momentum, the players get confident and they start playing better. The competition now is clear."

The Blues will next take on Bundesliga outfit Heidenheim in a UEFA Conference League game at Voith-Arena on Thursday (November 28).

Chelsea face hurdle in quest to sign 21-year-old

According to Spanish outlet Fichajes.net, Chelsea could fail to sign Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap as Manchester City are in pole position to re-sign him. Pep Guardiola's side have a £20 million buy-back clause for the 21-year-old.

Delap, who spent time at City from 2019 to 2024, joined Ipswich for an initial £15 million earlier this summer. He has found the back of the net six times and recorded one assist in 12 Premier League appearances for his new club this season.

Should Delap move to Enzo Maresca's side in the near future, he would pop up as a rotational option for them. He would provide fine competition to Nicolas Jackson and fill the void left by Christopher Nkunku's potential departure.