Maresca reacts to Chelsea 4-2 victory at White Hart Lane

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Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca reacts to Chelsea 4-2 victory at White Hart Lane  08/12/2024  Tottenham Hotspurs Stadium, London, UK

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00:00Does that feel like your biggest win yet as Chelsea manager?

00:07I don't know, to be honest.

00:09I'm not thinking about this.

00:12For sure, it's an important win.

00:14First of all, for the way that arrived,

00:18because to come in this stadium against this team

00:21and to concede two goals

00:23and then continue with the same plan on the ball, off the ball,

00:27show how the players are mentally strong at this moment,

00:31that is important.

00:33Then personally, I don't consider this game the biggest win.

00:39I've said many times already

00:41that this team is going to win games against a big team,

00:44it's going to lose games against a big team,

00:46because it's football.

00:47The only thing I really focus on and care about is how we can improve.

00:51What do you think went wrong in that first and second game?

00:56Marc Cucurella said to me at the end of the game

00:59that he was trying to give a little bit of emotion to the game.

01:02Probably it was too much, two goals.

01:04But probably it's the perfect win for this motivation,

01:10because two goals down was the worst picture for us.

01:15Even if we were in control, we were playing,

01:18we conceded two goals from Cucu

01:20and probably we conceded one more chance

01:22because we were wrong in the build-up.

01:25Then we created chances, we controlled the game,

01:29we kept the ball,

01:31then half-time we changed something tactically

01:35and in the second half I think we deserved to win the game.

01:39Tabidai?

01:51Very happy.

01:53Since we started, we are trying to work the way we want to play,

01:58on the ball and off the ball,

02:00but also we are trying to work in terms of mentality, togetherness,

02:05to come in this stadium and think that you are going to win

02:10or compete without suffering or without some bad moment.

02:13It's impossible.

02:15So we were ready for that.

02:17As I said, probably it's too much after 15 minutes

02:19to give away two goals like tonight,

02:22but it's the perfect win probably because of this.

02:27Matt?

02:36What do you think of the penalty?

02:41Probably since we started I didn't see a goal-shooting penalty.

02:47In terms of the second penalty, it's a goal.

02:53It's a goal and you have to expect anything.

02:56The good thing about the team again,

02:58once again tonight Bissouma was marking him man-to-man,

03:01so he has to learn how to play against a team

03:05that now they go man-to-man with him.

03:08But overall it was fantastic the way he worked off the ball,

03:12the pressing from all the players in front,

03:14the two wingers, Nico, Cole.

03:16Very good.

03:28Yes, absolutely.

03:31Why do you think he's so good?

03:34Because Cole belongs to that kind of players.

03:39They are not normal players.

03:42They are top players.

03:44And top players do things that normal players or us,

03:49we say, how can he do that?

03:51He's because he's Cole, he's because he's top,

03:54and we can expect this from Cole.

03:57Liam?

04:01Was it concussion concerns with Romeo at half-time

04:04or was it just purely tactical?

04:06No, unfortunately he felt something in his hamstring

04:10the last minutes of the first half.

04:13Now he was working without any pain,

04:16but because it was small things,

04:18since we start I don't like to lose players

04:21for five, six, seven games in a row,

04:23less than 45 minutes,

04:25even if Romeo was playing a fantastic first half.

04:29We tried to change because he had a problem.

04:36No, it can happen.

04:39Unfortunately it happened to the same player twice,

04:42but I think it happens many times in football

04:44that a player sleeps.

04:47As I said, unfortunately it happened to him twice,

04:50but no more than that.

04:52Nizel?

04:59Is that the biggest celebration you've been involved in?

05:02How do you manage the players going forward?

05:04A big celebration, a big hug?

05:06No, but we work every day for this kind of moment,

05:10to celebrate with the fans and to be close to them.

05:13For sure, because tonight was derby,

05:15because the way we are in this moment,

05:18we are all happy,

05:19and I think to share that moment is fantastic.

05:24I said many times that we need our fans

05:27home and away,

05:28and I will tell now in this moment

05:30that against Brentford we need them

05:32to continue in this moment for us.

05:34It won't be an easy game against Brentford,

05:36and we need them to help us and pushing us.

05:39John?

05:40Just going back to Cole,

05:42on current form,

05:43is he the most exciting and the best player

05:45in the Premier League right now?

05:48For us, for sure.

05:50But then I think the Premier League

05:52is full of top players, top talent.

05:56But Cole belongs to those players.

06:09I said I had Cole for one year,

06:11four years ago at City, under-23,

06:14so I know Cole from four, five years ago.

06:17The best thing for me is that four, five years ago

06:19when he was with me under-23,

06:21he was in one way,

06:23and now after two years,

06:2520 goals, 30 goals, 25 goals,

06:27assists that everyone considers him

06:29one of the same,

06:30he's exactly the same guy.

06:32Low football, humble,

06:34no strange things,

06:35and this is the best thing for Cole

06:38and for young players,

06:39because you know that today young players,

06:41if they play one game good,

06:43they already think that they are,

06:45and they lose the balance.

06:46Cole the best thing, yes,

06:47that is always the same,

06:49don't change,

06:51and we are very happy with Cole.

07:08I said since we started

07:10that the reason why Jadon came here

07:13is because we think that Jadon

07:16is going to help us.

07:18Unfortunately he had some small problems,

07:20so he was out for a while,

07:22now he's back,

07:23the only thing he has to do

07:24is to continue in the same way,

07:25he cannot drop,

07:27otherwise he's not going to play,

07:29and tonight about his performance

07:31and Pedro Neto,

07:32he's on the ball,

07:33both they were very good,

07:35but off the ball,

07:36they were running,

07:37full of Borro,

07:38full of Udogi,

07:39they were defensively very good,

07:41and this is what we need.

07:49What was the problem?

07:52No, there was no problem,

07:53to be honest,

07:54I think the plan first half

07:55was working well,

07:56we were attacking,

07:57controlling the game,

07:58we conceded two goals unfortunately,

08:00I was very happy,

08:01the only thing that,

08:03watching the way they were pressing,

08:05first half we had Cole Palmer

08:07in one side,

08:08and Enzo Fernandes in the other side,

08:11second half we had Cole Palmer

08:12in one side,

08:13and Koukoura in the other side,

08:15and we changed something in behind,

08:18it was just for this reason,

08:21I think it works quite well,

08:23at the end we won the game,

08:25and it was just about this.

08:28And just one more, Jacob.

08:43No, no, no, exactly,

08:45after the game,

08:46my message to the player

08:47was to be focused,

08:49anyway tomorrow we are off,

08:51but to be focused

08:52in the day by day,

08:53in our session,

08:54in the next game on Thursday,

08:56and then Sunday,

08:57because if you start to think

08:59in two games,

09:00in three games,

09:01in four games,

09:02where we are,

09:03it's completely wrong,

09:04so the main focus has to be

09:05now enjoy the day off

09:06with the family,

09:07with the friends,

09:08when we come back,

09:09go again,

09:10100%,

09:11train well,

09:12go for the game,

09:13no more than that,

09:14we are happy that our fans,

09:16they are happy,

09:18they can dream,

09:19they can think everything,

09:20because from outside,

09:24it's quite clear,

09:25also inside,

09:26the reality is that,

09:27I said many times,

09:28that for me we are not ready

09:30to be there,

09:31but the important thing

09:32is that we improve day by day.

09:34Thanks everyone.

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