Maresca: We Performed Very Well for Most of the Time, Even Better Than Manchester City

In the first round of the Premier League, with goals from Haaland and Kovacic, Chelsea lost 0-2 at home to Manchester City. After the match, Chelsea’s head coach Maresca gave an interview to Sky Sports.

Maresca said, “I think we performed very well for most of the time, even better than Manchester City. The performance was there, but we didn’t capitalize on our opportunities. Perhaps the main difference was in the box. I am quite satisfied with the team’s overall performance.”

“For me, what’s important is creating opportunities. We didn’t score, but we created chances. Their first goal was almost offside, and we nearly scored. These things can change the outcome of a game, but overall, the performance was good. This is evident; you could see the team trying to control the ball and dominate the game.”

“Today we faced the champion team. We will continue to work hard and win games. We had two or three chances. They are experts in ball possession. In terms of opportunities, we were about equal, and also in ball possession. We don’t like losing. We just need to keep working.”

Regarding the unexpected omission from the squad, Sterling’s side issued a statement. Maresca added, “Honestly, I haven’t seen that statement, and I have nothing much to say about it. It was just a tactical decision, nothing more. If necessary, we will clarify this later. I’ve already made it clear; it was just a tactical decision.”