Chelsea fans should stay calm after a surprising 4-1 defeat by Celtic on Saturday night in a pre-season match. The game, held at Notre Dame Stadium in Indiana, saw Celtic dismantle Chelsea.
Celtic dismantled Chelsea with goals from Matt O’Riley, Kyogo Furuhashi, Luis Palma, and Michael Johnston. Christopher Nkunku managed to score an 89th-minute penalty for the Blues, but the damage was already done. Despite the defeat sparking panic among Chelsea fans, former Blues star Andy Townsend advised supporters to stay calm.
Speaking on talkSPORT, Townsend said, “We shouldn’t pay too much attention to that. This is no time to start looking for the panic button just yet.” He emphasized that pre-season results often don’t reflect the actual season’s performance. “Nobody panics in pre-season; it is time to panic when the team has got off to a poor start and they are looking devoid of any ideas,” he added.
While Chelsea had more possession against Celtic, their defense was easily penetrated by the opposing team. This defeat adds to a shaky start to pre-season for new manager Enzo Maresca, whose first match in charge ended in a 1-1 draw against Wrexham.
Star players like Cole Palmer, Moises Caicedo, and Enzo Fernandez have not yet joined the squad due to extended breaks after Euro 2024 and the Copa America. Nonetheless, Chelsea fans have expressed concern, with some criticizing Maresca. One fan on social media site X wrote, “Chelsea will be so lucky to finish in the top 10 with this Maresca guy.” Another added, “I feel ashamed being a Chelsea fan.”
Despite the heavy loss, Maresca acknowledged the poor result but insisted that adapting to his style will take time. “Off the ball, we need to improve things,” Maresca said. “You can see sometimes we confuse when we need to play short and when we need to play a little bit longer, but that is part of the process.”
Chelsea fans must remain patient as the team works on integrating new strategies and players into the squad. The pre-season is a time for experimentation and growth, and the true test will come when the official matches begin.
