Defense is still a weak point that Chelsea must improve and this was seen not only during pre-season but also in the competition that took place last season. Chelsea did not prioritize these positions to be improved and instead they bought several players who were not quite right last season so there were many positions that did not work optimally when they played. Cucurella showed his best abilities in pre-season but he did not control the defensive position himself without the support of other players.
The coach must try to build good cooperation with the team and they must be able to communicate with each other. Next season the competition will be even tighter as almost most clubs have prepared the strength to compete for the title. If Chelsea returns to maximizing its existing strengths, it is feared that they will not be able to compete.
It seems that Maresca is paying more attention to the team's attack than to its defense. Fabrizio Romano writes that Pedro Neto has arrived in London and will soon undergo a medical, his contract with Chelsea is until 2030 with the possibility of an extension. Given how much Maresca is trying to change in the team, we will most likely see a completely different team, which will be different from the one we saw with Pochettino, but it is not yet known how much better their game will be. Spending big money on transfers is a usual thing for Chelsea, but I do not see an improvement in results from this.