Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca defended his team’s display in their narrow 1-0 win over struggling Leicester, reminding critics that Premier League football is ‘not PlayStation’.
Stamford Bridge witnessed another unconvincing performance as the league’s second-bottom side held out comfortably until the hour mark when the unlikely figure of Marc Cucurella blasted in from 30 yards to get lacklustre Chelsea out of jail.
Earlier there had been the familiar sound of jeers from home supporters as they watched their side hog the ball but do little with it that was dynamic or creative.
Maresca has previously defended the team’s style under his leadership, which prioritises possession over quick transitions, and the patience of fans was tested again here as chances to hit Leicester on the counter-attack were passed up in favour of slowing the pace of the match.
“People have to understand this is our way, our style, and this is the way we are going to play,” said Maresca, who pumped the air in delight at the final whistle.
“When a team creates the number of chances we created today you have to be happy. It’s not easy. Leicester until minute 83 were 0-0 against Arenal. The same thing happened against City.
“If you think football is just PlayStation and you win easy? No way. Every game is difficult. The way the players have done today is fantastic.
“Our Champions League target will be also with our fans to support us. When we play at home we need them behind the players.”
Further frustration for Chelsea came with a penalty from Cole Palmer in the first half that was saved by goalkeeper Mads Hermansen.
It means Palmer, who was taken off in the second half having not trained for two days due to suffering from fever and diarrhoea, has now gone eight matches without scoring.
“Yesterday he didn’t train,” said Maresca. “During the night he didn’t feel well, but this morning he woke up and said to me ‘I want be on the pitch because I want to help this club to play Champions League.’
“In the last 48 hours he was very bad with fever and with this bad feeling. But this morning he asked to play and this shows that the players want to bring this club to where it belongs.”
Cucurella’s thunderbolt was enough to lift Chelsea above Manchester City and back into the top four ahead of back-to-back London derbies against Arsenal and Tottenham.
For Leicester their predicament appears increasingly hopeless, beaten for the 12th time in 13 league matches and six points adrift of safety.
Boss Ruud van Nistelrooy said: “I get good at this after games. A good performance on and off the ball, everything was there and I think the players deserved more.
“We came away with a penalty save to go into half-time at 0-0. It’s the kind of luck you need sometimes to turn things around.
“Lots of positives again but we have to take the blow of taking nothing.”
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