Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has praised captain Reece James for his commanding display in midfield during the Blues’ 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur.
James, who is naturally a right-back, started alongside Moises Caicedo at the base of midfield and played a key role as Joao Pedro’s first-half strike sealed victory in north London.
Maresca has regularly experimented with his full-backs drifting into central areas since joining from Leicester, and James’ performance may now give him a long-term selection dilemma.
[Via Chelseafc.com], Maresca explained his tactical choice: “I think yesterday we needed a little bit more physicality in the middle. We expected them to play with Sarr, Bentancur and Palhinha. We didn’t expect them with four midfielders, because then Bergvall also played.”
Despite that, Chelsea controlled proceedings, with Maresca full of praise for his skipper: “Reece is doing fantastic when he’s playing as a midfielder, he’s doing fantastic when he’s playing full-back, and he’s doing fantastic in terms of leadership.”
James’ fitness struggles have hampered him in recent seasons, but his form this campaign has been a major boost for both club and country.
Former Chelsea coach and current England boss Thomas Tuchel remains a huge admirer, and James looks set to be England’s first-choice right-back for the 2026 World Cup if he stays fit.
Chelsea now travel to Azerbaijan to face Qarabag in the Champions League on Wednesday before returning to Stamford Bridge to host Wolves in the Premier League.
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