Sky Sports did a big feature on Chelsea following the draw with Arsenal at the weekend, and Sue Smith had some really interesting things to say.
Her take was positive on the Blues getting a draw – the fact that they’re disappointed with that result and the draw before that against Manchester United shows how far they’ve come. She highlighted the switch of Pedro Neto to the right wing as a particular moment of inspiration from manager Enzo Maresca:
“I thought it was a brilliant bit of tactical play. It was a really interesting tactical battle from both [managers]… it was brilliant from Maresca to switch Neto from the left to the right… we know he can perform in both areas of the pitch,” Smith pointed out.
“Enzo Fernandez came on, two minutes later he played the ball through to Neto, who cut inside and scored… it just shows the things Maresca are seeing, and the in-game management is key.”
You can see the pundits discussing Chelsea in the clip embedded here, with this chat coming after 9 minutes:
Maresca following a well-trodden path
Smith’s fellow pundit Steven Warnock was a little less impressed, pointing out that in his days as a Premier League full back “I used to face two wingers a game,” as it was a pretty regular occurrence for a wide man to have a go on the other side.
Neto’s ability to play both sides – and deliver from each of them – is a huge asset to the team, and means he’s always got a better chance of getting in the team than some of his rivals for minutes out wide who are more limited and are only really able to deliver on their preferred side.
The Portugal international has played 90 minutes 3 games in a row, and this is exactly why.
