Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has confessed to a tactical oversight that nearly jeopardised his team’s narrow 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur.
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Fernandez scored to give Chelsea the three pointsLengthy VAR checks led to 12 minutes of stoppage timeMaresca believes he was lucky to escape with his changesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The Blues secured a vital three points at Stamford Bridge, thanks to a second-half header from Enzo Fernandez, but the closing moments were anything but straightforward for the hosts.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE
With Chelsea clinging to their slender lead, Maresca withdrew forward Cole Palmer and goal-scorer Fernandez, bringing on Tosin Adarabioyo and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to shore up the defence and midfield, respectively. Only after making the changes did Maresca realise that 12 minutes of stoppage time had been signalled – largely due to extensive VAR reviews that had disallowed goals for both sides during the second half.
WHAT MARESCA SAID
"We created chances enough in the first half, and then, to be honest, it has been my mistake because I did the change before I saw the extra time," Maresca told reporters.
"When I saw 12 minutes, I saw that probably was too early to make that kind of change. But fortunately, we won the game, and we are happy."
Despite his admission of a tactical error, Maresca was quick to heap praise on his players for their resilience and determination during the frantic finale.
"If you want to become a team, I think you need also to learn and to play in the way we played in the last 10 minutes: win a game in a dirty way," the Italian said.
Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?
Chelsea's next challenge comes quickly, with a short trip across London to face Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium on April 6.
