Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca was unimpressed by his side’s performance following their disappointing 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace in their first match of the year.
The Blues who are without a win in four games, took the lead in the first half through star attacker Cole Palmer after brilliant individual work from the on-loan Jadon Sancho.
The Eagles grew into the game after conceding, and got their deserved equalizer when Eberechi Eze squared for Jean-Phillippe Mateta to score with an easy tap-in.
“Probably we did enough to win the game today. Between the first half and second half, I think we created chances enough to win the game”, Maresca echoed after the game.
Chelsea who had started the season in brilliant form before their poor run of form, have dropped to fourth on the Premier league standings and are currently nine points behind table-topping Liverpool who have two games in hand.
“But in football you need to be clinical otherwise the game is always open, especially in this stadium. Any transition, any corner boosts the energy for them. Unfortunately in the end we conceded but overall I think today we did enough to win the game.”
The Blues frustration grew as Senegalese striker Nicolas Jackson also missed a clear chance when he could have scored, while 18-year old Josh Acheampong who was making his league debut headed wide from a good chance.
The Blues will expect to return to winning ways when host Morecambe next Saturday in the English FA Cup third round, before hosting Bournemouth at the Stamford Bridge three days later in a league match.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
