'I gave up Christmas to watch 38 Liverpool games in a week and couldn't believe what I saw'

Ahead of the clash at Anfield, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has shared a curious anecdote from his past, revealing that after retiring as a player in 2017 he .

The Italian brings his side to Anfield today, with both sides having started the season well. Ahead of the game, Maresca recounted his intensive football-watching marathon.

"It was Christmas, I still remember," he said. "I was watching different kinds of work to understand and see how the best teams think."

He took it a step further, delving deep into the Reds' style under .

"It was four or five years ago. I'd finished playing and started as a manager. I watched 38 games of Liverpool in one week - to study and analyse how they were with their previous manager, in terms of the pressing and this kind of thing."

Maresca expressed deep knowledge of the Liverpool players, owing to his extensive research. "So I really know Liverpool players because I watched them many, many, many times. That team, the first one, two, three years of Klopp, and the way they were pressing was especially good because of Salah, and ."

He also praised for his exceptional work rate, both with and without possession.

"Not only on the ball. It was off the ball, the way they were aggressive was something unbelievable. I really like Salah not only because he is good on the ball but because he's fantastic off it."

Liverpool.com says: Maresca has clearly done his homework on Liverpool, although the Reds are a slightly different beat under Arne Slot. No doubt he will have watched some of the Reds' more recent games as well though.

Chelsea has made a decent start under the Italian, and there's no doubt they will pose Liverpool's toughest test yet this season. If the Reds can come through today's game still sitting at the top of the Premier League, it will be a very good sign for the rest of the campaign.