Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca offered a brutally honest and critical assessment of his team's performance following a disappointing 3-1 defeat to Leeds United at Elland Road on Wednesday night.
A night to forget for the Blues
The west London side produced a performance well below their recent standards, falling behind after just six minutes when Jaka Bijol headed in from a corner. Leeds doubled their lead before half-time through a powerful Ao Tanaka strike.
Pedro Neto gave Chelsea a lifeline shortly after the restart, but a significant defensive error allowed Dominic Calvert-Lewin to seal the victory for the hosts with twenty minutes remaining. The result leaves Chelsea clinging to fourth place, now three points behind an in-form Aston Villa in third.
Maresca's stark admission and minimal praise
In his post-match comments, Maresca did not attempt to sugar-coat the display, admitting his side were second best in every department. "They were better than us in all the aspects and they deserved to win the game," stated the Italian boss bluntly.
He went on to highlight that very few of his players reached an acceptable level, singling out only two for praise. "In tonight's game there was no-one that was at his best level. Pedro second half, Garna [Alejandro Garnacho] second half, probably they were our best players," Maresca conceded.
He explained that after Neto's goal, Chelsea created two chances through Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro before Calvert-Lewin's decisive third goal ended the contest.
A Premier League warning after big-game highs
The Chelsea manager issued a clear warning to his squad about the relentless nature of the Premier League, suggesting they had been caught out after impressive performances against top-tier opposition like Arsenal and Barcelona.
"For sure for different reasons the level is not going to be always the same. Home or away against any team, if you don't perform 100 per cent, the Premier League is tough," Maresca warned.
He pointed to squad rotation as a contributing factor, acknowledging that the level can drop when key players are rested. "We have players that it is not possible for them to play every two or three days. When you change players, the level drops, that is the reality," he added.
Chelsea must now regroup quickly, with a trip to the south coast to face AFC Bournemouth on Saturday before another away fixture against Atalanta in the Champions League. Maresca's challenge is to ensure this poor night at Elland Road is an aberration, not a trend.
