Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca took time to shed some light on his choice of substitutions after watching his side slip to a 2-1 defeat to Premier League rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Manchester United’s intensity in the opening exchanges bamboozled Maresca’s side, and center referee Peter Bankes compounded their troubles by showing goalkeeper Robert Sanchez a straight red card for denying Bryan Mbeumo a scoring opportunity.
Sanchez’s sending off, which came in the 5th minute, prompted a wave of surprising substitutions as Maresca axed his two wingers Estevao and Pedro Neto to introduce Filip Jorgensen and Tosin Adarabioyo.
Fifteen minutes later, he also subbed talismanic attacker Cole Palmer for defensive midfielder Andrey Santos, leaving Joao Pedro as the only attacking option on the pitch. After the game, the Italian tactician explained his decision to Sky Sports.
“We needed to defend with five players, we can defend with four when we are 11v11.
“We decided to change Estevao and Pedro Neto and then after we changed Cole (Palmer) because he made an effort to play the game because he was not 100 per cent fit.
“He had a test this morning and he was ok but not 100 per cent fit so also we changed him after 20 minutes.”
Manchester United also went down to ten men after Casemiro received a second yellow card just before half time. But with a two-goal deficit at the break, the Blues couldn’t salvage a result despite dominating the second half.
Chelsea were denied a chance to bounce back from their disappointing mid-week defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League and have now extended their winless run at Old Trafford to 12 games.
With eight points from five games, Chelsea currently sit in sixth place on the Premier League table pending the results of Sunday’s matches.
Olaoluwa is a dedicated sports writer and passionate football enthusiast with two years of experience. Known for his keen analysis and commitment to the game, his work reflects a deep love for football, blending strategic insight with the emotional moments that make it a global passion. He is focused on honing his skills and consistently aims to inspire and engage readers through every article he writes.
