Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca has opened up on the reasons behind his decision to drop Cole Palmer, and Nico Jackson for the Premier League clash against Brentford.
The Blues faltered in their Champions League qualification race with a disappointing goalless draw at the Gtech Community Stadium on Sunday.
The Italian manager was heavily criticised on social media by Chelsea fans for making five changes to the team that defeated Tottenham 1-0 on Thursday.
Cole Palmer, Nico Jackson, Marc Cucurella all started from the bench as Chelsea struggled for firepower in the encounter.
Nico Jackson replaced Christopher Nkunku at the start of the second half, Palmer replaced Kieran Dewsbury-Hall in the 69th minute.
The Italian manager has revealed the reasons behind the heavy rotation ahead of their Europa League assignment on Thursday.
Maresca said, “We played Thursday night. Not all of them [our players] were 100 per cent. The idea was to start in one way and finish in the other way. The plan nearly worked because in the last half-an-hour we created a little bit more”
Chelsea recorded a game-high 21 shots on goal with five on target but they failed to find the back of the net.
Maresca has blamed the team’s inability to finish their chances for the disappointing result.
He said, “Overall we played a good game. We prepared the game in the way it was, in terms of starting one way and finishing the other way. We played Thursday night, a demanding game, 24 hours less than them. Tricky stadium, sunny day, the pitch was dry, they tried to kill the tempo of the game.
“We did enough to win the game. We shot more than 20 times. The only thing we missed was the goal, but overall I’m happy with the performance. When you are not able to win, it’s important you don’t lose, you take the point and you move the table.
“At this stage of the season, 24 hours can make the difference in terms of rest and energy, which is the reason why I’m happy with the performance. They gave everything.”
He, however, hailed the team for not allowing Brentford to play to their set piece strength in the match.
Maresca said, “It’s very clear how good Brentford are and what they try to do, not only in set-pieces but in transition, but apart from the last transition we conceded, we controlled them very well.If we decided to start the first half the way we finished, probably after 45 minutes the team would not be physically good enough to finish the game. We tried to find a solution.
“After 45 minutes, one hour, our team was getting better and better. We tried to keep the ball so they ran, and after one hour they could be tired. We expected to improve in the second half.”
Chelsea have now failed to win any of their last eight away Premier League matches, scoring just three goals in total during that time.
The result is a blow to Chelsea’s top four hopes as they failed to build on their victory against Tottenham in midweek.
Enzo Maresca’s men have won 15 matches, drawn eight and lost eight in 31 Premier League matches this season to sit fourth on the table.
The Blues will be back in Premier League action against Ipswich Town next Sunday
Why I Benched Palmer, Jackson For Brentford Clash – Maresca is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
Source: The Whistler
