Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has addressed his team's vulnerability to set-pieces and the broader trend of teams exploiting these situations for goals. Speaking ahead of Chelsea's match against Tottenham Hotspur, Maresca acknowledged the inherent challenges in defending set-plays, stating that goals will inevitably be both scored and conceded from them.

Maresca's comments come amidst scrutiny of Chelsea's defense, which has shown susceptibility to set-piece situations in recent matches. A long throw-in led to Sunderland's equalizing goal in a 2-1 defeat for Chelsea, and a similar chaotic defensive moment allowed Wolves to score in a Carabao Cup match. Critics have pointed out that Chelsea has conceded more expected goals (xG) and shots from set pieces than any other Premier League team.

Despite these concerns, Maresca downplays the significance of the statistics, arguing that they don't fully represent his team's overall defensive performance. He maintains that Chelsea is actively working on improving their set-piece defense. "We are working on [defending set-pieces]. For sure, we are working. For sure," he stated.

Ahead of their game against Tottenham, Maresca recognized the team as a strong contender, especially in set-piece situations. He noted that Tottenham finished the previous season winning the Europa League and have started this season well. Thomas Frank's Brentford, for example, has thrived on set pieces, with Micky van de Ven scoring twice from corners in a recent win against Everton, and Kevin Danso being a willing supplier of long throws.

Maresca's perspective aligns with a broader view that set-pieces are an integral part of the game. He noted that while Chelsea has netted nine goals from set-pieces this season, and Arsenal leads the league with 11, both teams also concede goals from such plays. "Set-pieces for me are part of the game," Maresca said. "You are going to score goals from set-pieces and you are going to concede goals from set-pieces". He also highlighted that after Arsenal, Chelsea is the team with the most goals from set pieces.

Maresca's stance contrasts with a time when he favored a positional style of play, but he seems to have embraced the importance of dead-ball situations in modern football. Arsenal's manager, Mikel Arteta, has long emphasized mastering set-pieces, stating a decade ago his commitment to improving that area of the game.

Looking ahead, Chelsea's ability to defend set-pieces will be closely watched, particularly in their upcoming match against Tottenham. Improving defensive balance remains a key objective for Maresca as he seeks to bring consistency to Chelsea's form.