Enzo Maresca explains why striker Marc Guiu was missing from the Chelsea squad for Saturday’s 2-2 Premier League draw with West London rivals Brentford.
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has explained why Marc Guiu was absent from his squad for Saturday’s 2-2 Premier League draw with Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium.
The Blues prolonged their unbeaten start to the 2025-26 season in the evening’s West London derby, although it was very much a case of two points dropped rather than one gained for the Club World Cup champions.
Maresca’s men led 2-1 heading into second-half injury time thanks to goals from Cole Palmer and Moises Caicedo, but Bees substitute Fabio Carvalho miraculously stole a point for Keith Andrews’s side in the dying embers.
Carvalho and Palmer both found the back of the net as substitutes in West London, where Maresca also brought Tyrique George and Alejandro Garnacho off the bench as alternative attacking options.
However, there was no room for Guiu among the substitutes, meaning that Maresca only went with the one recognised centre-forward in his squad in the shape of Joao Pedro, who was replaced by Garnacho in the 79th minute.
Maresca explains Guiu absence from Chelsea’s draw with Brentford
Asked in his post-match press conference why Guiu was not involved, Maresca confirmed that the decision was a tactical one rather than enforced due to injury or illness.
“Marc is a striker,” football.london quotes the Chelsea head coach as saying. “We know him from last year. He spent all season with us. But in this moment, one of them was out from the squad.
“I think I also thought to give Ty [George] a little bit more confidence because he did well against Fulham. He did quite well. Tonight, again, when he was on, he was okay. But the season is so long that for sure, Marc is going to find space.”
Guiu was recalled from his loan spell at Sunderland during the summer transfer window following Liam Delap‘s serious hamstring injury, allowing Nicolas Jackson to complete his temporary switch to Bayern Munich after that move was briefly in jeopardy.
The former Barcelona youngster has come up with six goals in 16 appearances for Chelsea since making the move to the English capital last summer, although all of those strikes came in last season’s Conference League, and he has played just 70 Premier League minutes for the Blues so far.
Pedro comes close to Eden Hazard record in Chelsea draw with Brentford
Amid Guiu’s absence from the matchday squad, first-choice striker Pedro very nearly emulated Eden Hazard, as the Brazilian continued his fine start to life in a Chelsea shirt.
Pedro provided the assist for Palmer’s leveller at the Gtech Community Stadium, his third helper of the season to go alongside the two goals he managed against West Ham United and Fulham.
The former Brighton & Hove Albion attacker has therefore taken just four games to register five Premier League goal involvements for Chelsea, making him the second-quickest to hit that mark for the Blues after Hazard.
The ex-Belgium international had six direct goal contributions after just three Premier League appearances in 2012, providing five assists and one goal in games against Reading, Wigan Athletic and Newcastle United.
Chelsea lie fifth in the Premier League table after Saturday’s stalemate and are back in action on Wednesday night, travelling to Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
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