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Chelsea fans on X are calling out Enzo Maresca after he excluded Reece James from the starting XI to face Liverpool. The two sides are set to lock horns in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge later today (Sunday, May 4).
Robert Sanchez starts in goal for Chelsea. Moises Caicedo, Trevoh Chalobah, Levi Colwill, and Marc Cucurella make up the defense. The midfield consists of Romeo Lavia, Enzo Fernandez, Pedro Neto, Cole Palmer, and Noni Madueke. Nicolas Jackson is the lone forward, with Maresca opting for a 4-2-3-1 formation.
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James has struggled with various injury issues over the past few years, missing 21 games across all competitions this season due to two hamstring injuries. The 25-year-old has performed well in his 21 appearances across competitions, scoring two goals and providing one assist. Despite this, he has played just 1176 minutes to date, and has been named on the bench with Caicedo preferred at right-back.
One Chelsea fan posted:
"I'm convinced he hates Reece James"
Another fan tweeted:
"Reece James getting sold"
Other fans voiced their opinion below:
"Why does Maresca constantly ignore Reece James?" one fan questioned
"Do people actually realise how crazy it is that this manager has demoted REECE JAMES to a backup player? There needs to be more outrage about this," one fan insisted
"This guy has relegated Reece James to a bench player," another added
"What is happening with Reece James is not fair et-al. The manager doesn't understand his importance in such games," one fan chimed in
"Their performances have not been too convincing" - Chris Sutton makes scoreline prediction for Chelsea vs Liverpool PL clash
BBC Sport columnist Chris Sutton has backed 2024-25 Premier League champions Liverpool to defeat Chelsea 2-1 in their upcoming fixture. He reckons the Blues have not been convincing under Enzo Maresca's tutelage this season.
Despite looking like title challengers in the first half of the season, the Blues have been poor after December. They are currently fifth in the PL table with 60 points from 34 games, 22 points behind leaders Liverpool, and are in serious danger of not qualifying for next season's UEFA Champions League.
Sutton wrote (via BBC Sport):
"Chelsea have nicked a couple of results recently, to stay in the race for the top five, but their performances have not been too convincing and their fans still don't seem to have taken to Enzo Maresca's playing style."
He added:
"This is not the test for them that it would be if Liverpool were trying to close out the title but I don't think Slot is the type to let anyone take their foot off the gas. He will put out a strong team and even if they play with more freedom, I still think Liverpool will leave with the points."
Liverpool defeated Chelsea in their reverse fixture at Anfield earlier this season, securing a 2-1 win (October 20, 2024).
