Maresca must bench Neto & unleash Chelsea’s “world-class” star

It’s certainly not panic stations just yet, but things are not going to plan for Chelsea so far this season.

Enzo Maresca’s side were held to a draw by Crystal Palace in their Premier League opener, drew away to Brentford last weekend, and then lost at the hands of Bayern Munich on Wednesday night.

Now, there is no shame in losing to the German giants, especially given the inexperience in this Blues squad, but the lack of genuine threat from the West Londoners was worrying.

So, to ensure they have a better chance of beating Manchester United this afternoon, Maresca should drop the underperforming Pedro Neto for someone who could be something of a new Juan Mata for Chelsea.

Neto’s poor start to the season

Firstly, it is worth noting that Neto is an undeniably talented player, and when he is on form, he is a nightmare for defenders.

However, what is equally true is the fact that he’s started this season slowly and, as things stand, is not offering very much to the team.

For example, Joao Pedro has already scored twice and provided three assists, Enzo Fernández has produced three goal involvements and Cole Palmer, who has been out injured, already has two goals in his last two appearances.

In contrast, the former Wolverhampton Wanderers star has scored just one goal thus far, and not to diminish his efforts, but that came against West Ham United, who are looking like serious relegation candidates this season.

Moreover, against Bayern, he wasn’t even ineffective; he was actually making things worse for the team, losing the ball nine times despite taking just 25 touches.

In all, while Pedro is a talented player and could still have an important role to play in Chelsea’s season, he should be dropped for the game today, especially as there is someone ready to replace him, someone who could be something of a new Mata.

Chelsea’s new Mata who should replace Pedro

While some may argue the closest thing to a new Mata in this Chelsea side is Palmer, the player we are talking about is the incredibly exciting Estevao.

Now, while it is undoubtedly true that the Brazilian is primarily a winger and the Spaniard an attacking midfielder, people often forget that the former Blues star actually spent plenty of time out wide during his time in West London.

In fact, the 37 appearances he made off the left, combined with the 26 he made off the right almost match the 67 he made as a ten.

However, while there is actually minor positional similarity between the two players, that is not the basis of this comparison.

Instead, it’s that, when at his best, the 37-year-old was capable of making something happen out of nothing, and was an incredibly gifted attacking force.

For example, in 135 appearances for the Pensioners, totalling 10118 minutes, the Burgos-born maestro managed to score 33 goals and provide 53 assists.

In other words, the 41-capped icon averaged a goal involvement every 1.56 games, or every 117.65 minutes, which is the sort of creativity the team need now, and something Estevao may be able to provide in the future.

Granted, he’s probably not going to put up numbers like that this season, but with people like respected analyst Ben Mattinson calling him a “future Ballon d’Or winner”, there is no reason to think he won’t get there.

In fact, we have already seen what he’s capable of this season, as following a mazy run in the West Ham game, he provided his first competitive assist in blue for Pedro.

On top of having the potential to be as good as the former United star, he’s also a left-footer and, by watching his highlights, clearly an entertainer.

Ultimately, while he is not on Mata’s level yet, as scout Jacek Kulig says, he is a “world-class” prospect and could well get there soon enough.

Therefore, Maresca should be bold and start him in place of Neto today.