Jadon Sancho dropped as Maresca takes gamble – How Chelsea bounce back from Liverpool loss

Chelsea can consider themselves unfortunate to have left Anfield empty-handed after their narrow 2-1 defeat to Liverpool on Sunday. But Enzo Maresca may still be tempted to make some tweaks to his team.

The Italian declared himself pleased with the Blues’ performance despite suffering their first away defeat of the campaign, with Nicolas Jackson’s strike not enough after Mohamed Salah scored from the spot and Curtis Jones hit the match-winner.

One of the players who largely disappointed was Jadon Sancho, who has made a bright start to life at Stamford Bridge but was some way below the standard expected of him. The 24-year-old struggled to find a way past Trent Alexander-Arnold for much of the first half, although the ex-Manchester United winger did have a credible penalty shout turned down by referee John Brooks.

Sancho was hooked at the break by Maresca, a decision that wouldn’t have surprised many. The mysterious absence of Mykhaylo Mudryk from the squad meant only Pedro Neto was a suitable replacement, and the Portuguese’s direct running proved to be a handful for Liverpool in the second half.

Maresca has kept a fairly consistent teamsheet where possible in the Premier League, but the tactician, 44, could be tempted to switch things up – with Sancho likely to be the fall guy. Competition for places means he has Mudryk, Neto, Joao Felix and Christopher Nkunku all chomping at the bit for a start.

And while Sancho registered three assists in his opening five games, the Englishman has been somewhat ineffectual in his last three games or so, suggesting a change could freshen things up. The same could apply to Robert Sanchez, who put in a nervy display on Merseyside.

Chelsea started with Reece James at right-back, while Malo Gusto crept into central midfield from his hybrid left-back role. That helped create an overload when in possession and Liverpool, who are mightily strong in central areas, found it difficult to contain the Blues.

But when James’ planned substitution forced Gusto to switch to right-back, Renato Veiga was brought in and the Portuguese immediately had a positive impact on the game. His height, strength and eye for a pass helped Chelsea create chances down the left flank, giving Maresca something to think about when selecting his team for their next fixture.

So far, the 21-year-old has only one Premier League start to his name from five appearances – helping keep a clean sheet in the 1-0 win over Bournemouth in September.

He has been a consistent performer in the UEFA Conference League for the Blues and scored his first goal in the 4-2 victory over Gent. Even when handed a tough test against the tricky Salah, Veiga certainly stood tall and proved he is worth taking a punt on for their next fixture against Newcastle.

Of course, there is the issue of Marc Cucurella returning from suspension, with the Spaniard serving a one-match ban at Anfield after accumulating five yellow cards already this season. With that in mind, Maresca may hand Veiga another chance to impress against Panathinaikos on Thursday before making a final judgement between the two.

The £12million signing from FC Basel has made great strides since joining in pre-season and proved he can handle the rigours of the Premier League.

He is far from a finished article, but there is excitement at Stamford Bridge that their recruitment team have picked up another future star for a bargain fee – and he could flourish in the coming weeks.