Enzo Maresca in ‘genuine shock’ at what Chelsea man did in win vs Wolves
Enzo Maresca could not believe his eyes at one moment as Chelsea coasted to a Premier League victory against Wolves.
Wolves are currently without a manager, with Middlesbrough’s Rob Edwards the frontrunner to take the job, while the Blues have pushed up to second in the table with a 3-0 win on Saturday, 8 November.
At Stamford Bridge, it was a tricky first half against a resolute Old Gold side, but Estevao coming on changed the game for Chelsea, as Joao Pedro and Pedro Neto added to Malo Gusto‘s opener.
The right-back hitting the back of the net first went to show just how well Wolves were defending away from home, and his own manager had to look twice after seeing who the goalscorer was.
Enzo Maresca stunned by Malo Gusto’s opener
Gusto popped up at the back post in the 51st minute, pouncing on Alejandro Garnacho‘s cross and celebrating his first goal since becoming a professional footballer.
Writing for BBC Sport (8 November), Nizzar Kinsella said: “That’s defender Malo Gusto’s first ever senior professional goal, first in 98 since joining Chelsea from Lyon, and there is genuine shock on manager Enzo Maresca’s face.
“Up until that moment, the most entertaining part of this match was the giant spider eating a fly just above the press box. That moment of quality has finally surpassed it.”
The victory sees Maresca’s side move within six points of league leaders Arsenal after their 2-2 draw with Sunderland at the Stadium of Light earlier on Saturday.
Gusto’s performance by numbers vs Wolves
As well as hitting the back of the net, Gusto was also defensively solid, and recovered rather well after the first 30 minutes of frustrating the entire fanbase with his stray passes.
The Frenchman caused all sorts of issues down the right flank, and Hugo Bueno needed plenty of help when he doubled up with Neto in the final third.
| Malo Gusto vs Wolves | Stats [FotMob] |
| Minutes played | 77 |
| Goals | Assists | 1 | 0 |
| Touches | 73 |
| Successful dribbles | 100% (2/2) |
| Tackles won | 100% (1/1) |
| Ground duels won | 62% (5/8) |
Reece James is always at risk of a new injury, so Maresca is clearly eager to rest the right-back whenever he can, and the manager can now depend on Gusto when required.
Chelsea are secretly building a team to challenge for the Premier League title, and after grinding out another win at Stamford Bridge, they are well and truly in the race.