Here’s full take from Enzo Maresca on Caicedo’s dismissal, his frustration with the officiating, and the draw with Arsenal.
Chelsea Fought With Ten Men
Head coach Enzo Maresca looked calm in front of the cameras, but you could hear the tension in his words. In the post match interview, he said the plan was always to push for three points, yet Chelsea will settle for the draw against Arsenal.
Enzo Maresca Press Conference Highlights
Q. 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.”
Q. How good was Robert Sanchez and Reece James ?
“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.”
Q. 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. 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.”
Q. Does the performance level today make you title challengers?
” If in February, March, we are where we are now, we’re going to be for title. 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.”
Author’s opinion
Chelsea didn’t get the win, but they showed steel. The red card changed the script, yet the response felt like a team growing in confidence. This draw might prove more valuable than it looks
As featured on Chelseanews.com
