EFL Cup questions: Maresca's Chelsea outburst, City's health, more

Getty Images

It's business time in the EFL Cup with three of the competition's four semifinal spots up for grabs this week. Arsenal and Crystal Palace are waiting until December 23 for their matchup due to the latter's involvement in the Conference League. Before then, however, several of England's big beasts will be looking to move onwards.

The last remaining side from outside the top flight, League One leaders Cardiff City, host Chelsea on Tuesday night in a game whose stakes might have been dramatically raised by Enzo Maresca's incendiary comments at the weekend. Following on from that the following night, holders Newcastle welcome Fulham to St. James' Park with pressure for the hosts to reply from Sunday's defeat to rivals Sunderland. The week wraps up with a side who have won five of the last 10 EFL Cups, Manchester City, facing off against Brentford at the Etihad Stadium. Here's what to look out for in those games:

1. Cardiff City vs. Chelsea: What's up with Maresca?

Is there any more perilous job across any industry than an Italian head coach in his second season at Chelsea? Carlo Ancelotti paid the price for only winning 2-0, not 7-0. His employers discovered that Roberto Di Matteo may not have been the chief reason Chelsea won the 2012 Champions League. Antonio Conte exploded. Is Maresca heading for a similar fate to his compatriots? It feels a bit premature to suggest that but by and large you don't want to be giving off the impression that you are at loggerheads with ownership.

That is what Maresca offered on Saturday when he offered an unbidden assessment of the "worst 48 hours" of his time at Chelsea. A press conference later, all that is absolutely clear is that he was not criticising the supporters. There is little to suggest he was going at the media, not least because why leave anyone with the impression it might be more critical figures? Most of all, when it was put to him that the issue might be between him and the men who sign his cheques he did nothing to quieten the suggestion.

His longest comment on the matter in his pre-match press conference made clear that he had no intention to row back on what he might have been able to pass off as the emotional reaction to a hard-fought win over Everton. "I can speak Italian, my language, Spanish very well, French very well, and English more or less," he said. "I think when I want to say something, I'm quite clear. I already spoke after the game. I don't need to add more. If you want, I can try in Italian, Spanish, French, so you're all aware. It's done, it's finished. It was after the game. I said what I said. Now, it's focus on Cardiff."

Maresca might not have been at the helm for long but he should have understood some time ago that the only way for the focus to shift to on field matters when Chelsea are playing a cup match against League One opposition is for them to lose said game. Even that would only serve to heighten questions over a coach who, with a Club World Cup to his name and a top four berth currently in his grasp, shouldn't really have to worry about midseason pressure. It reflects a degree of naivety in the 45-year-old to bring such attention on himself before a game where there is nothing to gain. Suppose Cardiff pull off an upset. Suddenly Maresca is staring down a brutal festive fixture -- Newcastle and Manchester City away, Aston Villa and Bournemouth home -- having planted a seed of doubt over his management.

All of which is to say nothing for the simple fact that managers do not have the best batting average when trying to land hits on those above them on the org chart. There are plenty of coaches more successful than him who have taken on their chairmen and lost. It is the case that Behdad Eghbali in particular is prepared to give his view on football matters but that was not news when the Chelsea job came available in the summer of 2024. Nor was the youth recruitment policy that was implemented under his predecessors. Maresca has not won the unquestioning loyalty of the entire fanbase in the way that Jose Mourinho and to a lesser extent Thomas Tuchel did. They may not act as a shield for him if results turn. Suddenly there is pressure on this game that there need not have been.

Given the chance, Maresca has shown no inclination to quell this story in his media appearances. Now he will have to do so on the pitch.

2. Newcastle United vs. Fulham: Can returning Robinson fire cup run?

Though they are nobody's idea of favorites to win this competition, a big swing at the EFL Cup should be tempting for Fulham and Marco Silva right now. They have been thereabouts in the last three seasons -- twice FA Cup quarterfinalists and in the last four of this competition in 2024 -- and with three wins from their last five can be reasonably confident they aren't getting dragged into the relegation battle.

They pushed Newcastle hard on their visit to St. James' Park in October, only falling to a last minute winner from Bruno Guimaraes. Only two points separate them from their hosts, who will be feeling the pressure after Sunday's defeat in the Tyne-Weir derby and who looked drained from competing on four fronts.

To add to the sense that this quarterfinal is a competition that Fulham can take a very real swing at, arguably their best player is returning. Antonee Robinson played his first minutes since late September, 90 of them, in the 3-2 win at Burnley. His return is all the better timed given that the other player who might lay claim to being the Cottagers' best, Alex Iwobi, is departing for the Africa Cup of Nations with fellow Nigeria internationals Calvin Bassey and Samuel Chukwueze. Those are key cogs for Silva to be without. At least Robinson's return was broadly encouraging.

Certainly it was not without its flaws in a first half where he struggled to hold the right position. Robinson left the gap for Lesley Ugochukwu to drive through for Burnley's first goal and was guilty of dawdling in possession soon after. He hardly excelled for their second either, a beat off as a cross flew over his head and he failed to recover quick enough. Those though have the look of rusty moments, the sort that are par for the course when you've played two and a half hours of competitive football since the end of last season.

What was probably of greater concern to Silva, and indeed Mauricio Pochettino, is whether the injuries had quelled some of Robinson's athleticism. It didn't seem it, his driving run on the overlap earning the corner that would deliver Fulham's opener. Only one of his crosses found a lime green shirt but the USMNT left back's deliveries were customarily tempting. So was a gorgeous lob over the top for Harry Wilson as a corner broke down, the Welshman then lobbing the ball onto Calvin Bassey's head. No wonder Silva was so impressed.

"I didn't have any doubts," Silva said of Robinson's return. "He's a great athlete, we know what he's capable of and he showed that. He's a very important player for us." He could be even more vital at Newcastle. Over 60% of the expected goals allowed by Eddie Howe's side this season has come down the left flank, where Tino Livramento could be seriously tested by the likes of Kevin, Emile Smith Rowe and of course Robinson.

3. Manchester City vs. Brentford: Does Guardiola have depth for four fronts?

The City machine might have the look of one that is beginning to motor through the gears, but the attrition in getting this team up to speed has been significant. Pep Guardiola readies himself for the EFL Cup quarterfinal with an injury and absentee list that is only starting to grow at a pivotal point of the season, asking questions of whether he can rustle up a squad of fringe players and academy prospects to beat top tier opposition.

Manchester City defy clear Premier League title assessments even in 'statement' win at Crystal Palace

James Benge

Much like their title rivals, there is a risk of City's injuries bunching in key positions. It may not be February until Mateo Kovacic is back from the ankle injury that sidelined him in October. Rodri seems perennially to be a few weeks away from consideration. Whatever his fitness status Guardiola would surely not gamble with him in an EFL Cup game, but is the same now true for his replacement Nico Gonzalez, solid enough and not the sort of player City can do without for the festive fixtures. In the third round win at Huddersfield Town it was Rico Lewis who came in to sit at the base of midfield but he might be needed to cover for Matheus Nunes, who has started nine of City's last 10 games. Perhaps with Abdukodir Khusanov, better than the reputation he gained for himself early this year, they can just about jam their way through this game.

Therein lies the challenge for this iteration of England's footballing superpower. Players who in years gone by would barely have sniffed enough Premier League games to win a medal are now load-bearing columns in Guardiola's XI. The same might be said of Nico O'Reilly, who would probably have dropped out for Rayan Ait-Nouri if the Algerian were not bound for the Africa Cup of Nations. Omar Marmoush too looks to have missed an opportunity to reassert himself at club level after an injury-hit start to the season. Jeremy Doku was missing for the win at Crystal Palace and Haaland is another who simply cannot be risked in the EFL Cup.

The worry for Guardiola might be that he has to roll out a lesser version of the side that he gambled on against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League. For 45 minutes they struggled to get going, forcing the introduction of the first choice attack. That is not an approach that Guardiola will want to repeat on Wednesday night.