Soccer Football - Premier League - West Ham United v Chelsea - London Stadium, London, Britain - September 21, 2024 Chelsea's Moises Caicedo prays after the match REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
LONDON (Reuters) - Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca downplayed the significance of becoming the first manager to win his first three away games in the Premier League since his former mentor Pep Guardiola achieved the same feat in 2016.
Maresca - who had a spell as one of Guardiola's assistant managers at Manchester City - oversaw Chelsea's 3-0 win at West Ham United on Saturday and said he believed his young squad was making progress, even if they still had room for improvement.
"The way the players are buying the idea, or the different style, since I arrived has been top," Maresca told reporters. "I think we are on the right path, we are in the right direction. But this is a long journey."
Maresca is the fourth permanent coach to work for Chelsea's American owners since they bought the club in 2022.
After finishing 12th two seasons ago and sixth in the last campaign, Chelsea are desperate to recover their status as an English and European heavyweight.
Co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali were both in attendance at the London Stadium on Saturday, despite media reports of a rift, and they congratulated the players and coaching staff after the game.
"They were in the changing room, they were all happy," Maresca said. "The main target in this moment is to see how we progress as a team and I think we are improving many things even if today we could attack better, we could defend better."
Maresca said he sensed that a coherent team would soon emerge from the flurry of players who have arrived at Stamford Bridge in recent months, including winger Jadon Sancho and defender Tosin Adarabioyo who both made their first starts for Chelsea against West Ham.
"It's just a matter of time," the Italian said. "I said at the beginning the most important thing is how the players they have bought since we arrived here work together, and this is the most important thing."
West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui, who is also finding his feet after moving to London over the summer, said he was very frustrated that his team had given away two early goals to Chelsea with defensive errors.
Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson scored in the fourth and 18th minutes when unmarked, and Cole Palmer made it 3-0 shortly after half time.
Asked about the booing that rang out from the home fans during the game, Lopetegui asked for patience from supporters.
"For sure this group of players they are going to improve and they are going to have time to give the fans the best days that they deserve," the Spaniard said. "We feel their support, their ambition and of course today is a bad day for all of us."
(Reporting by William Schomberg; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
