The full transcript from Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca after the Blues drew 1-1 with Premier League leaders Arsenal at Stamford Bridge
Enzo Maresca has just wrapped up his post-match press conference following Chelsea’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues held on for a point in west London despite spending a big chunk of the game with a man less following Moises Caicedo’s first-half red card. Trevoh Chalobah put the 10-man hosts ahead early in the second-half, but Mikel Merino’s header ensured the points were shared.
Maresca has just reflected on the draw in his post-match press conference. Here is every word the Chelsea head coach had to say:
What is your assessment of the performance and result?
I think sometimes you have to be happy even with one point. For sure, the target was to win the game. Again, 11v11, I think we were a better team than them. We managed the game, we controlled the game, we created chances and we didn’t concede anything. Then the red card changed a little bit the dynamic, but even with that, I think the way the players dealt with that and were outstanding.
Was that better in terms of reacting to having someone sent off?
I think, again, the Man Utd game, the change was because Man Utd attacked with five players, they attacked in a different way compared to Arsenal. I know that most of the time you judge because of the result. We changed, we lost, so it was a bad change. Tonight, every time we do something, it’s because in that moment we consider that it’s the right thing to do. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. But for sure, the way the players dealt with the players, the effort, I told them half the time, we need to double the effort. And they were outstanding.
How good was Robert Sanchez, and can Reece James do that again on Wednesday night?
No. No, the reality is no. Robert was very good. When you are with 10 players against Arsenal, for sure if you want to take a point or win the game, you need some special performance, like Robert, like Reece, as you said. So we are very happy with Robert’s performance. Reece, now, his performance has been fantastic, top. Now, we have a game on Wednesday. For him, very good. We need to manage him, we need to control him, we need to control a little bit his situation. But he was very good tonight.
Reece James said it should have been 10v10. Should Piero Hincapie have been sent off for his elbow on Trevoh Chalobah?
I think Reece is right. But they decide. I just said there, he asked me about Moises’ red card. It’s a red card, but why was Bentancur’s against Reece not a red card when we were at Spurs away? So us, as a manager, we struggle to understand why they judge in different way. Moises’ is red card, yes. Bentancur’s is a red card, yes. Why they don’t give him a red card? It’s just that, that we struggle to understand. The reality is that it’s red card. But why they judge in different way? And the Trevoh one, I asked the referee, he said to me that it was not an elbow. So, this is what they said. [He had a] black eye, with ice at half-time. But they judge in different way.
The way you played today, which is the thing you’re most proud of?
For sure, the effort of the players. Arsenal, they are top of Premier League, top of Champions League, best defenders in the Premier League, probably best defenders in Champions League. So, in this moment, they are the best team. And I think 11v11, we were better than them. Then with 10 players again, changed the dynamic. So, the effort from the players has been outstanding.
Does the performance level today make you title challengers?
I think, once again, sometimes I think I’m a little bit boring, but in terms of boring, I have to say, again, the same. If in February, March, we are where we are now, we’re going to be for title. But we are still, you know, end of November, December. Now we are weeks away. Wednesday, that is a very difficult game. So, you need to be there every time, every time, every time. But for sure, you know, Arsenal tonight, Barcelona the other day, Liverpool, PSG, these kind of games, for sure, they give to the players, you know, the confidence to grow and to believe.
