Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca attended the post-match press conference following the 1-2 loss to Aston Villa.
Q: You played well at least in the first half, but the direction of the game changed...
Maresca: I think the goal we conceded really changed the course of the game. I don’t know if it was because of those three substitutions, but what’s certain is that we were in control of the game before conceding the goal.
I feel that by the time we conceded the first goal, we should have already scored two or three goals.
After conceding the goal, the situation of the game completely changed. Of course, we have to take our chances because, as I said, before they scored, I think we should have already scored two or three goals, and the direction of the game would have been completely different.
But at the same time, we also need to better control the game after conceding a goal, which may need to be improved through the accumulation of game experience.
Q: What do you think was the turning point of the game?
Maresca: I think the goal we conceded was the turning point. Before conceding the goal, which was about an hour, we were completely in control of the game.
This is not the first time this has happened. Even if we are leading, once we concede a goal, we will struggle a bit in terms of game control. This is definitely an area we need to improve.
Q: You just mentioned that Chelsea needs to take chances in the final third. What do you want the team to do better in these situations?
Maresca: This is a general problem. We used wingers to break through outside the penalty area many times. I think between the first half and the second half tonight, we had many one-on-one opportunities. In the penalty area, we can generally do better in the final third as a whole.
Q: What do you think this game reveals to you?
Maresca: It’s hard to analyze now because we need to figure out again why we struggle to control the game better after conceding a goal. It may be lack of experience, or it may be a reason we need to analyze and understand.
Q: Are you worried about Cole Palmer’s angry reaction?
Maresca: No, no. He played very well. Whether in possession or out of possession, he fought actively and performed excellently. We have another game in 48 hours, so he is in good shape, and we are very happy that he can come back, really.
Q: Just to confirm, there’s no problem with his reaction to you substituting him?
Maresca: No, no.
Q: What was the reason for Marc Cucurella being substituted?
Maresca: Because he complained about a hamstring issue, so we are not sure if he is really injured now. So he asked to be substituted.
Q: Also, do you think you should have been awarded a penalty (Matty Cash’s handball) when you were leading 1-0?
Maresca: It looked like a penalty, but the referee didn’t award it, so it’s tricky. It was clearly a handball, and Pedro Neto was behind the opponent’s defense, so he could completely touch the ball, even score a rebound, but the referee just didn’t give it.
