Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has openly admitted to a significant error in his team selection following Wednesday night's disappointing 3-1 defeat to Leeds United at Elland Road.
Maresca's Post-Match Regret
Speaking ahead of this weekend's Premier League fixture against AFC Bournemouth, the Italian boss reflected on the painful loss that ended his side's positive run of form. Maresca specifically pinpointed his decision not to include 18-year-old defender Josh Acheampong in his starting line-up as a key regret. The teenager has not featured since late October but had previously impressed during earlier opportunities.
"One of the regrets I have after the game is that I didn't play with Josh," Maresca stated in his pre-match press conference. He explained his original thinking, saying the selection of Trevoh Chalobah, Benoit Badiashile, and Tosin Adarabioyo was intended to combat Leeds's direct style. "The reason why we played with Trevoh, Benoit and Tosin was because we saw long balls to their strikers, but even with that, we lost most of them."
A Defence "Beaten Up" at Elland Road
The Chelsea backline endured a torrid evening on Wednesday, 5th December 2025. Sky Sports pundit and former Manchester United defender Gary Neville did not hold back in his criticism during the broadcast. He described the performance as "a nightmare for Maresca and a dream for Leeds," adding that Chelsea's defenders had been "poor on the ball all night."
Neville was particularly scathing about the defensive display, stating: "That front two for Leeds have beaten Chelsea up for 72 minutes. What a mess. Chelsea's defenders have been poor on the ball all night, playing it into their own six yard box to each other." The defeat saw a relegation-threatened Leeds side secure a headline-grabbing victory against the Blues.
Team Selection Hint for Bournemouth Trip
Looking forward to the trip to the Vitality Stadium, Maresca indicated that Acheampong could now be in line for a recall. The manager predicted a similar tactical challenge from Andoni Iraola's Bournemouth, suggesting the young defender's attributes may be required.
"Bournemouth will be a similar game to Leeds, that is why we need to be better," Maresca explained. "Leeds was very intense and were better than us in all the aspects. Hopefully we can learn from that and be better tomorrow." Acheampong has helped Chelsea keep clean sheets in two of his five Premier League appearances this season, against Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace.
The admission from the Chelsea head coach highlights the immediate pressure to learn from mistakes as his team seeks to quickly return to winning ways in the Premier League.
