The one massive Chelsea positive to come out of disappointing Arsenal defeat for Enzo Maresca

There was not a lot to be happy about from a Chelsea supporter's perspective after their 1-0 defeat at the hands of fierce rivals Arsenal on Sunday afternoon.

A big chance missed to go within three points of the Gunners with a toothless attacking display at the Emirates Stadium leaving a bitter taste in the mouths of fans. Enzo Maresca came out after the game and said his side controlled the game for large parts of it but the fact is: Chelsea registered just two shots on target throughout the 90 minutes - and they both came from Marc Cucurella.

All of this against an Arsenal side that look far from their best. The Gunners looked to be there for the taking after going a goal up in north London. Chelsea, though, were unable to lay a glove on their rivals.

Losing before an international break makes the feeling even worse for supporters, who now have to reflect on the defeat for the next two weeks. For all of the negatives that came out of the Emirates Stadium from a Chelsea point of view, there was one huge positive and that is the return of Romeo Lavia.

The 21-year-old midfielder has had a torrid time of it once again this season in terms of injuries. Lavia has suffered three separate muscular issues, meaning he has been absent for a total of 21 games in all competitions. The Belgian, when he has played, has shown his importance to the Maresca setup and offers Chelsea some much-needed balance in the centre of midfield.

However, he returned against Arsenal after two months on the sidelines with his latest hamstring injury. He came on for the final 10 minutes or so but was unable to influence the game too much, but the fact Maresca was able to call on Lavia is definitely a positive. Now, Lavia will have two weeks working at Chelsea's training base in Cobham as he looks to get himself in prime condition to hopefully stay injury-free for the last stretch of the 2024/25 season.

Back in the summer of 2024, football.london was part of an interview with Lavia in Charlotte, North Carolina, and it was very clear to see just how desperate this young player was to prove himself at Chelsea. Not only prove himself, but just to get some minutes on the pitch after he was deprived of such luck in his debut season with the club.

"Dream season is not to miss any games. That's it," the Belgian said during the club's pre-season tour of the United States. It has not been a "dream season", not by any means, but should Lavia be fit between now and the end of the season - and that is a big "if" given his recent record of injuries - then he is likely to have made over 20 appearances in all competitions this term.

He of course should - and will be - aiming for larger numbers than that but it is a start at least. Not only this, but you get the feeling if Lavia is on the pitch, then Chelsea will perform better. That is how it has tended to work this season; with the Blues only losing three games when Lavia has been in the side. One of them, of course, the defeat to the Gunners where Lavia was called upon with minutes to go.

As brilliant as Lavia is, and he is still developing, there is a need for Chelsea to address the central midfield situation in the transfer market this summer. Andrey Santos is set to return to the Blues with many feeling he can have a huge impact on the side next season, but some more depth is needed, especially with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's future in doubt.