December 26th 2024.
Enzo Maresca, the manager of Chelsea, has responded to criticism surrounding his team's 2-1 defeat to Fulham on Boxing Day. The game saw Cole Palmer put Chelsea in the lead with an impressive solo goal, but Fulham's late comeback secured them the win. Fans were particularly upset with Maresca's lack of substitutions, with only one being made in the 73rd minute.
However, Maresca has explained that he did not want to make changes for the sake of it and that his attacking players, including Jadon Sancho and Pedro Neto, were all performing well. He stated that he had wanted to make changes since the start of the game, but the players on the field were doing a good job and he did not want to disrupt their performance.
Maresca also addressed the absence of Joao Felix on the bench, stating that he has a similar position to Cole Palmer and it was a matter of balance. He also mentioned the competition for one position on the pitch, which is why Marc Guiu did not get any minutes as well. As for Noni Madueke, Maresca revealed that it was a technical decision to leave him out of the squad entirely.
Despite the loss, Maresca praised the performances of his players, highlighting the contributions of Cole Palmer, Moi Caicedo, and Enzo Fernandez. He also mentioned that Nico Jackson was substituted due to fatigue from sprinting, but the rest of the players were doing well and he did not see the need to make any more changes.
Looking ahead, Chelsea's next match is against Ipswich Town on December 30. The defeat against Fulham has left them in second place in the Premier League table, four points behind leaders Liverpool. Maresca and his team will be looking to bounce back and reclaim their position at the top of the table.
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