The Premier League kicks off with a bang as Chelsea takes on Manchester City at Stamford Bridge at 6.30 PM EAT. But the question arises: is this truly a derby anymore? City, under Pep Guardiola, have been racking up trophies and dominating English football, while Chelsea have been nowhere near the title race.Since the golden era under Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, Chelsea have struggled under the ownership of American billionaire Todd Boehly. Coaches have come and gone in quick succession, but the results have remained lackluster. Graham Potter, Frank Lampard, and even Mauricio Pochettino last season couldn’t deliver, and now the club’s reins are in the hands of former City assistant and Italian manager, Enzo Maresca. After leading Leicester City back to the Premier League following their relegation, it remains to be seen whether Maresca can restore Chelsea to the heights of English football.”The Diet Pep?!” 😂Guardiola cannot believe the nickname given to new @ChelseaFC boss Enzo Maresca 😅🔗 https://t.co/YT292MNB7q pic.twitter.com/z6fscUFyYE— Hayters TV (@HaytersTV) August 3, 2024 City, on the other hand, have a well-structured team and made few changes this summer. Julián Álvarez’s departure to Atlético Madrid for what could go up to 95,000,000 euros transfer marked the standout transfer of the window, as the Argentine was dissatisfied with his role. New arrival Savinho, after an impressive season at Girona, is one of the few additions. There wasn’t much need for drastic changes in a championship-winning squad. City have already begun the season by defeating Manchester United in the Community Shield after a penalty shootout, signaling yet another potential season of trophy hauls at the Etihad.The student faces his mentor. Can Maresca outwit Guardiola in his first competitive match as Chelsea’s head coach? It seems unlikely, especially at the start of the season when City’s players aren’t yet at full throttle, with many coming off a summer of international commitments. Chelsea, meanwhile, have continued their frenzied spending this summer, leaving Maresca with a squad of 43 players, including eight goalkeepers.City’s silent warrior and the potential Ballon d’Or winner bound to get what he deservesMaresca has brought in Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall from Leicester for 35 million, Pedro Neto for a staggering 60 million, goalkeeper Filip Jörgensen from Villarreal for nearly 25 million, and the little-known Omari Kellyman from Aston Villa for 22.5 million. These additions don’t inspire much confidence that Chelsea will challenge for a top-four finish, let alone a Champions League spot.Cole Palmer is expected to be one of the key players. Conor Gallagher was close to a move to Atlético Madrid but remains at the club for now. Serbian goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic, Chelsea’s first-choice keeper last season, has fallen down the pecking order after the arrival of Danish goalkeeper Filip Jörgensen from Villarreal and could be loaned to Strasbourg before the transfer window closes. Kepa Arrizabalaga and Robert Sanchez are also competing for the starting spot. All in all, Stamford Bridge continues to be a madhouse.Today’s focus in West London will be on the managers. Maresca, who considers Manuel Pellegrini his footballing mentor, has openly expressed his admiration for Guardiola, his former boss at City. Their first conversation took place while Guardiola was coaching Barcelona and Maresca was playing for Málaga. Their shared admiration for legendary Italian coach Carlo Mazzone, who trained both Guardiola and Maresca, was the topic of discussion.🇪🇸🇮🇹 Guardiola on Maresca: “My advice is to give him time and it will work. All managers need time.” “I don’t know if Chelsea is the place to do this, but it will work if they give him time. This is my feeling.” (@premierleague) pic.twitter.com/FtN6taR2hY— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) August 18, 2024 The new Chelsea manager is fascinated by chess, a game he credits with improving his coaching skills.“I’ve realized that playing chess can train a manager’s mind. The foundation of chess is logic – understanding and anticipating your opponent’s moves,” Maresca said.Former City midfielder Tommy Doyle spoke highly of Maresca.“He gave us great advice. Whatever Enzo told us to do, it played out exactly as he said on the pitch. He could predict everything,” Doyle remarked.Maresca didn’t fare well as the head coach at Parma, but after Guardiola’s assistant Juanma Lillo left for Qatar, he stepped in as Pep’s assistant during City’s historic 2022/23 season, when the club won the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League.Following that success, Maresca received the call from King Power and led Leicester back to the Premier League as Championship winners. It’s been a meteoric rise for Maresca over the past two years, going from an assistant in the shadows at the Etihad to Chelsea’s head coach.##EDITORS_CHOICE##Harry Winks, who has worked with José Mourinho, Antonio Conte, and Mauricio Pochettino, told Sky Sports that Maresca is the best coach he has worked with. Not only does Maresca admire Guardiola, but his style is often compared to the Catalan tactician.City will be without Norwegian Oscar Bobb, who impressed during pre-season but picked up an injury last week against United in the Community Shield. Guardiola gave opportunities to youngsters McAtee and O’Reilly, as well as regular starter Rico Lewis. Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva are expected to return to the starting XI.Chelsea, on the other hand, will be without Conor Gallagher. Last season, Pochettino struggled with numerous injuries, but Maresca appears to have a healthier squad for the new campaign. Christopher Nkunku, a signing from RB Leipzig, is expected to lead the attack. Palmer, Mudryk, and Madueke will be tasked with providing the goals, while the midfield will feature Caicedo and Lavia.”Pep is a genius” 🧠Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca discusses his managerial style and how similar he is to Pep Guardiola 💬 pic.twitter.com/SsVe4LjQmd— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 18, 2024 Chelsea’s pre-season was disappointing. They lost to Real Madrid, City, and Celtic, while securing a win over Mexican side Club America. In their final pre-season friendly against Inter Milan, they played to a 1-1 draw.Last season, City couldn’t beat Chelsea in either of their two league meetings, both of which ended in draws. A goal-fest ensued at Stamford Bridge with a 4-4 result, while the match in Manchester ended 1-1. In the FA Cup semi-final, City edged past the Londoners 1-0 thanks to a goal from Bernardo Silva.Chelsea haven’t beaten City since the 2021 Champions League final, when German manager Thomas Tuchel delivered their second European title with a 1-0 win.ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE – MATCHDAY 1FridayMan.Utd. – Fulham 1-0 (0-0)/Zirkzee 87/SaturdayIpswich – Liverpool 0-2 (0-0)/Jota 60, Salah 65/Arsenal – Wolverhampton 2-0 (1-0)/Havertz 25 Saka 74 /Everton – Brighton 0-3 (0-1)/Mitoma 25, Welbeck 56, Adingra 86/Newcastle – Southampton 1-0 (1-0)/Joelington 45/Nott.Forest – Bournemouth 1-1 (1-0)/Wood 23 – Semenyo 86/West Ham – Aston Villa 1-2 (1-1)/Paqueta 37 pen – Onana 3, Duran 79/Sunday16:00: (2.55) Brentford (3.35) Crystal Palace (2.75)18:30: (4.20) Chelsea (3.80) Man.City (1.90)Monday22:00: (5.20) Leicester (4.00) Tottenham (1.65)***odds are subject to change***
