Enzo Maresca was left frustrated in the post-match press conference after Chelsea were held to a draw by Crystal Palace on Sunday. Chelsea dominated the game, particularly in the first-half, but only had one goal to show for it.
Palace would grow into the match and struck after the break, but Chelsea had no answer. The Blues continually knocked on the door but didn’t have enough quality where it mattered.
Maresca feels Chelsea were robbed
Maresca wasn’t happy at full-time, feeling his side didn’t get what they deserved. He told Sky Sports: “I think we completely deserved to win the game. We had many, many chances, but the score is the most important thing.
Chelsea could have been 3-0 before Nicholas Jackson scored the opening against Palace. And even after the Eagles levelled the game, Chelsea could have retaken the lead. So Maresca was pleased with the amount of opportunities made, but he wasn’t pleased with the outcome.
He added: “The performance was there. We created chances (and) we missed (them). At the end, we conceded from one of two shots today. Happy for the performance not for the result.”
Poor start to the season
The result left Chelsea 11th in the Premier League table with four points from three matches. Prior to the Palace clash, Chelsea were coming off the back of a 6-2 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers, but the goals dried up.
Noni Madueke will certainly feel he should have got on the scoresheet. Cole Palmer had two good opportunities for Chelsea too, but Palace didn’t give up. They took their chance and came away from Stamford Bridge with a point that scarcely deserved.
After spending over £250m on new players this summer, Chelsea can’t afford to lose ground on the top-six so early. They need to be in the mix for Europe, as Todd Boehly has gambled a lot on their future successes.
Next up for Chelsea in the league is a trip to face Bournemouth on Saturday, September 14.
In other news, read how Chelsea were held to a draw against Crystal Palace
