Maresca’s tenure at Chelsea has been marked by challenges in the goalkeeping department. Initially, he publicly supported Robert Sanchez despite a series of errors. However, a particularly poor performance against Manchester City in January led to Sanchez being replaced by the 22-year-old Danish goalkeeper, Filip Jorgensen. Jorgensen, too, has faced difficulties, notably allowing a late goal against Aston Villa in a 2-1 defeat last weekend. 
Against Southampton, Jorgensen’s distribution from the back caused some anxiety among the Stamford Bridge crowd. Maresca defended his goalkeeper, stating, “My message to Filip was, ‘If you play long ball, I will change you.’ So he was just doing what I said to him.” Despite this directive, Jorgensen attempted eight passes longer than 30 yards, completing only half of them. In contrast, he had a 100% success rate with 28 shorter passes. 
Southampton’s manager, Ivan Juric, had aimed to exploit any uncertainty in Chelsea’s play by pressing high and aggressively. However, his team was unable to capitalize on this strategy, failing to breach Chelsea’s defense during the match. 
Maresca acknowledged the challenges his goalkeepers face under his system but emphasized the importance of adhering to the game plan. He noted, “It’s difficult for Filip, it’s difficult for Robert when he was playing, I think it’s difficult for all the keepers. But they should just follow the plan.” 
This incident underscores Maresca’s commitment to a possession-based style of play, even if it involves risks in the defensive third. His willingness to make tough decisions reflects his determination to instill discipline and tactical adherence within the squad.
In the broader context of Chelsea’s season, this approach highlights Maresca’s focus on building a cohesive unit capable of executing his strategic vision, as the team continues to navigate the challenges of domestic and European competitions.
