Enzo Maresca says he played Chelsea ace out of position to anticipate Spurs' three players
Enzo Maresca has explained his decision to play "fantastic" Chelsea defender Reece James in midfield in the 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.
This is not the first time that Maresca has deployed a defender in midfield.
Both Chelsea right-backs, James and Malo Gusto, have had their share of midfield duty, and it only helps to make Chelsea even more unpredictable in games.
However, Maresca did not just use James, arguably one of the best right-backs in the world, out of position for the sake of surprising the opponents.
"Depends a little bit on the game plan," the Italian said in his post-match press conference when speaking about the reason he played James in midfield.
"Today, I think we needed a little bit more physicality in the middle.
"We expected them to play with (Pape) Sarr, (Rodrigo) Bentacur, (Joao) Palhinha.
"I think Reece is doing fantastic when he's playing as a midfielder, doing fantastic when he's playing as a full-back, and he's doing fantastic in terms of leadership with the players inside the changing room."
Maresca's decision clearly paid off, as Chelsea not only dominated the game but also played as solidly as they could have hoped defensively.
James made eight defensive contributions in the game, including three interceptions and two tackles, and recovered the ball eight times.
James played a full 90 minutes, but went back to his natural role as a right back in the last 15 minutes after Gusto was replaced by Romeo Lavia.
While deploying their only two right-back options at the same time comes with its own risks, the versatility of both James and Gusto has proved crucial for Chelsea since the start of the season.
