GettyThe London club failed to impress and their performance against the League 1 side warranted no more than a draw.
Enzo Maresca receives a wake-up call after just one game. It is important not to read too much into preseason matches, especially at this early stage. However, an inconsistent Chelsea team found themselves evenly matched, and perhaps even outperformed, by a disciplined Wrexham side in a 2-2 draw during their first preseason friendly.
Maresca tried to implement his system here: Three at the back, wing-backs who pushed up, some trendy inversion from wide players who stepped into midfield. At times, it looked rather good, Chelsea piecing together some flowing attacking moves – let down by individual mistakes and mishaps in the final third. But at others, they looked confused and disorganized, and far too easy to play against.
Chelsea took the lead in a messy sequence after a frustrating opening 30 minutes, with Christopher Nkunku scoring from close range. Given their dominance in ball possession and territory in the Wrexham half, Chelsea should have scored more goals.
However, the team underwent significant changes and faced difficulties in the second half. Wrexham deserved their equalizer, with Luke Bolton cleverly positioning himself at the far post for a simple tap-in after 60 minutes. They extended their lead 10 minutes later, as Jack Marriott expertly navigated through the crumbling Chelsea defense and calmly placed the ball into the far corner. A late goal from Lesley Ugochukwu ensured a fitting draw.
The important takeaway from all of this is that the material results for Chelsea are not significant. Instead, this game was an opportunity to identify the positives and observe the development of the team. However, it would require careful scrutiny to find any positive aspects. While Chelsea performed well in the first half, their defense was consistently dismal in the second half, constantly collapsing.
On the other hand, Wrexham can find solace in their impressive overall performance, demonstrating their ability to compete with stronger opponents once the season commences.
GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from Levi's Stadium…
