Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca, believes that his side matched Arsenal evenly in their clash at the Emirates despite his side losing the tie by a one-goal margin.
Both sides could not muster much by way of attacking threat thanks to the solid midfield and defensive setups from both managers. However, Arsenal had the brighter start thanks to their home advantage which saw them take the lead early on in the game.
The biggest chance after Mikel Merino’s headed goal came from Marc Cucurella, who was unfortunate to not be on the score sheet thanks to the quality of the chance. In the end, the Blues went home defeated as Arsenal continue to charge down Liverpool in the Premier League title race.
Maresca’s Post-Match Analysis
Speaking after the game, the former Leicester City manager underlined the moments that defined the game while stating clearly that his side were only unlucky on the day.
“We struggled a little bit at the beginning, the first 20 minutes,” said Maresca. “After that we started to control the game and create some chances.
“The game was 50/50 in the second half. The big difference was set-piece strategy. We competed well, the game was there. They scored a set-piece, they are masters at that. It is a shame, but my feeling is that we are going in the right direction.”
Impact of Chelsea’s Absentees
The journalists then suggested that the Chelsea absentees — Noni Madueke, Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson — could have been the reason for Chelsea’s lack of bite in attack. Maresca agreed, saying, “it makes a huge difference.
“The three players with the most goals for us were not on the pitch today. It’s normal offensively we can struggle a little bit, even if until today we are the third best attack in the league.
“That means in any case we are doing well without those players, but we can do better with the players who are injured at this moment.”
Then he compared the reverse fixture at Stamford Bridge which ended 1 – 1 to this slim loss. “What I can say about the first game against Arsenal and today’s game, I don’t see a big difference between us and them,” he stated.
“Since I arrived, I have the feeling we are in the right path, and we are very close. Probably we just need that step forward to compete in these kind of games, but that step comes also with finishing in a Champions League spot.”
