Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance following their goalless draw against Everton at Goodison Park.
While the result meant missed opportunities to climb higher in the league standings, Maresca remained optimistic and praised Everton’s defensive discipline, which he described as one of the best in Europe.
Speaking during his post-match press conference, Maresca said, “I’m absolutely delighted with the result.
I told the players I’m more pleased today than after the Brentford game.
We knew Everton’s defensive record would make this a tough encounter, and we had to adapt our game plan to cope with their organization and structure.”
When asked about Chelsea’s tactics in the second half, Maresca acknowledged the challenges his team faced in breaking down Everton’s resolute backline.
“We knew it would be difficult to create clear chances against a team as defensively sound as Everton,” he explained.
“In the second half, we tried to improve our attacking movements.
Enzo Fernandez moved into a more advanced role, and we made other tactical adjustments, but unfortunately, we couldn’t find the breakthrough.
However, I’m proud of the team’s effort and their willingness to keep pushing until the end.”
Maresca singled out Tosin Adarabioyo for special praise, highlighting his defensive contributions, including a crucial block that prevented Everton from scoring.
“Tosin was outstanding today, and our entire defensive unit performed well,” Maresca said.
“Keeping a clean sheet is essential, especially with the injuries we’re dealing with.
The players showed great resilience and determination, which is something we can definitely build on.”
The Chelsea manager also commended goalkeeper Robert Sanchez for his solid performance, despite not being heavily tested during the match.
“Robert did well today. He didn’t have a lot of saves to make, but his focus and positioning were excellent.
His hard work in training is evident, and we’re very pleased with his contributions.”
Maresca noted that the windy conditions added another layer of difficulty to the game, affecting both teams’ ability to play their usual style.
“The conditions forced us into a different type of match,” he said.
“It was a game of long balls, second balls, and set pieces.
The players showed great adaptability and a strong sense of togetherness, which was fantastic to see.”
Despite the draw, Maresca remained positive, emphasizing the importance of taking a point from a challenging fixture and focusing on future matches.
“We’ll take this result, learn from it, and continue to prepare for the next game,” he concluded.
