Chelsea’s £106.8m signing, remains a puzzle for Enzo Maresca

Arne Slot has taken Liverpool to the top of the Premier League but he is not the only new boss exceeding expectations. Enzo Maresca, his opposite number at Anfield on Sunday, has negotiated a tricky start to his Chelsea reign impressively.

Seven games in, the Blues are unbeaten since the opening day of the season-six points and seven places better off than at the same stage of last term. The fluttering eyelashes of the sacking season gamble come to an end, and Maresca has managed the fallout to another chaotic transfer window with a calm hand, both on and off the pitch.

This is a stock that could hardly have been higher at the time of his arrival from Benfica, soon after playing a key role in Argentina’s World Cup win. Nearly two years on, though, some fans are starting to wonder whether the £106.8m record signing should even be starting.