They should stick with it - Mikel Obi praises Chelsea's midfield in Club World Cup victory

In his debut season, Maresca led Chelsea to the UEFA Conference League title in May against Real Betis and followed that up with a win over Champions League winners PSG.

Facing Luis Enrique's renowned high-pressing PSG side at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Chelsea were considered underdogs.

Maresca's tactical switch proved crucial. Cole Palmer, pushed out wide to the right, scored twice and assisted Joao Pedro for the third, giving Chelsea a commanding 3-0 halftime lead which they maintained until the final whistle.

Speaking as a pundit on DAZN, Mikel commented on Maresca's tactics: "The manager probably tried it a day before in training. Sometimes managers do that, and if they believe it worked, they'll stick with it."

He added, "Reece [James] was really good in midfield alongside Moises Caicedo. They complemented each other well, with Enzo Fernandez playing just ahead of them.

"They didn't give PSG's midfield trio of Vitinha, Joao Neves, and Fabian Ruiz any time on the ball. When you give those guys time, they'll destroy you."

Mikel also discussed Chelsea's midfield depth and performance on the Obidient Podcast. He praised the growing partnership between Fernandez and Caicedo: "Enzo and Caicedo are getting better and better, and that’s what we want to see. Against PSG, they were solid.

"You could see the communication was finally there. They covered each other. They didn’t just play together; they played as a team. Credit to Enzo Maresca and the players for understanding what it means to play for a big club like Chelsea.”

Both Fernandez and Caicedo arrived at Stamford Bridge with high price tags and faced initial challenges. However, their improved performances in the latter half of the season have coincided with Chelsea's resurgence, culminating in their Club World Cup triumph.