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14 points from an available 21 in the Premier League this season - it would be fair to say new boss Enzo Maresca has overseen a steady start to his tenure at Chelsea so far. 

What pundits and the media had described to be somewhat of a circus at the club has been anything but this season - with Maresca evidently instilling stability into a club that has long been starving for it. 

The Italian replaced Mauricio Pochettino, whose dismissal surprised many at the end of last season. 

We take a look into the impact Maresca has had at Chelsea so far, as well as what the Blues should expect throughout the rest of the 2024/25 season.

• Clear style of play and structure to a newly formed team

'Style of play' is a term commonly used within modern football and quite a cliche term that can be thrown around especially when a teams results start to disappoint. However, there should be no qualms in associating the phrase with Chelsea this season - who have shown to play with responsibility on and off the ball. 

Since the first match against Manchester City at the start of the season, Chelsea fans have been able to recognise patterns within a side that is still building cohesion and familiarity. 

The wingers, most often Noni Madueke and Jadon Sancho, have the responsibility of holding width with Malo Gusto inverting to form a 3-2 build shape on the ball. 

Some may question what is new about a shape that is commonly seen across modern football. One of the many reasons why managers opt to go with the 3-2-5 shape in possession is due to its balance defensively, often described as 'rest defence', whilst still providing numbers in attack.

In the context of Maresca's Chelsea, this is a shape that suits the strengths of the squad. Cole Palmer playing in the pocket with Noni Madueke relishing the defensive and physical aspect in holding down the right flank is a dynamic that has proved to show plenty of threat so far this season.

Cast your minds back Wolves away, where three goals came from the right side where Palmer and Madueke managed to create an overload on the right side. 

The system also benefits the likes of Levi Colwill and Marc Cucurella - Colwill in particular has thrived as the ball-playing defender, building out from the back.

It remains to be seen whether some roles benefit certain players, such as Gusto whose strengths perhaps better suit the role of an overlapping full-back as seen under Pochettino. 

Chelsea once again used their 3-2-5 shape in settled possession, this time the fullback to invert was Gusto who joined Caicedo in midfield when Chelsea was in settled possession. pic.twitter.com/opMz1Szfuo

— Oluwaseun (@MobyChe) September 29, 2024

• Flexibility to adapt with tactical tweaks and substitutes

It has since been refreshing to see a Chelsea manager show tactical adaptability, whether it be early tweaks in-game or substitutes at the right tempo in reflection of the flow of the match.

There have been moments where the Blues have looked a little lackluster on the ball, followed by changes made from Maresca which have gone on to benefit the team as a collective. Bournemouth away a perfect example to cast your mind back to, with Christopher Nkunku coming on and instantly scoring the winner.

Another example of Maresca's flexibility was the approach of his side away at West Ham. Where many will have expected the Blues to dominate the ball, they instead sat in a compact mid block and countered in devastating fashion with quality through Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson. 

One of Pochettino's downfalls from the 2023/24 season was his inability to notice worrying patterns at various moments during games and showing very little to rectify themes. 

KDH on Maresca: “Positional awareness, knowing when to be in certain instances in the game when we have the ball, getting in the box, trying to score goals and get assists, and trying to be aggressive off the ball. They are the main principles, without giving too much away!”…

— CFCDaily (@CFCDaily) August 3, 2024

Pochettino's Chelsea visibly played with freedom to express their quality but that often came at the expense of lacking positional discipline on the ball. An area that was a glaring weakness under the Argentinian is now becoming a ever-growing strength under Maresca. 

• What to expect from the Blues throughout rest of this season

By no means are Chelsea the 'finished article', as some may exaggerate when a team starts stringing a run of good form on the pitch. Maresca's Chelsea clearly look a lot more structured and potent on the ball - although issues defensively still remain. 

Partnerships are being formed in defense with Colwill and Wesley Fofana growing game-by-game, but Maresca's young and exuberant side will improve defensively in time. 

It remains likely their defensive struggles continue throughout the season as their new-look defence continues to take shape. Offensively however, strap yourselves in to see plenty more goals scored from a variety of ways. 

In an era of constant change and reshuffling, Maresca has given Chelsea fans plenty of hope ahead of the season. The charismatic and honest side from the Italian is one Chelsea fans have not seen since the days of Thomas Tuchel. 

Whether Maresca goes on to be the man to lead such a youthful squad remains to be seen, but the signs are certainly encouraging. This is a manager who understands the strengths of the squad whilst possessing the ruthlessness to drop any player at any given time if performance levels are not up to scratch.