“We lost the game because of 10 minutes” - Enzo Maresca pinpoints Chelsea problem involving Enzo Fernandez after defeat to Newcastle

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca highlighted Chelsea's problem after the Blues fell to a 2-0 loss to Newcastle United in the fourth round of the EFL Cup on Tuesday, October 30. Enzo Fernandez was one of the players criticized by fans after his side were knocked out of the tournament at St. James Park.

Both Newcastle United goals came in the first half with frontman Alexander Isak scoring the first in the 23rd minute. Left-back Axel Disasi scored an unfortunate own goal (26') to double the lead for the home side.

Despite dominating possession (65%), Chelsea's vertical gameplay lacked penetration. They were also wasteful with the finishing, hitting just four shots on target out of the 17 attempted in the 90 minutes. Furthermore, they couldn't capitalize on set pieces, failing to score despite taking nine corners in the game.

(The abovementioned stats are taken from Sofascore. It is a privately owned site and may change the data as per its prerogatives.)

In the post-match conference, Enzo Maresca highlighted the lack of control shown by Chelsea right after Isak's first goal. The Italian tactician also explained that Enzo Fernandez was not the only one at fault. He said (via The Chelsea Chronicle):

“I said, for me, we lost the game because of 10 minutes after we conceded the first goal. After that, for 10 minutes, we lost the control. After that, we need more control but it’s not only from Enzo, it’s in general.”

Chelsea were the clear favorites before the game, having beaten Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge in their last Premier League home outing on October 27. Nicolas Jackson (18') and Cole Palmer (47') scored that day as they registered a 2-1 win over Eddie Howe's outfit.

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Paul Scholes lavishes praise on Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca for work done in new club

Manchester United Legends v Celtic Legends - Source: Getty

Manchester United legend Paul Scholes recently praised Enzo Maresca, admitting that he was shocked by his coaching methods in the last few months.

Enzo Maresca joined the Blues in July 2024 after the departure of Mauricio Pochettino. Till now, Maresca has managed the London-based club in 15 games, winning nine. Four of them have been defeats while two have ended in a stalemate.

The west London side are currently fifth in the Premier League table with 17 points in nine games. They are also atop the Conference League table with two wins out of two. Speaking about the Italian tactician in an interview with The Overlap, Scholes commented:

“I think we’ve got to give Maresca credit because I remember on the show at the start of the year I felt he could’ve been one of the first ones gone. I think he’s been quite ruthless in what he’s done."

He added:

“I just felt he was a coach, but he’s come in, and it looks like he’s done everything. He’s got control, he’s bombed people out of the squad and put them to one part of the training pitch. He’s built a squad of players now that seem really good. They seem to have found something. They look like a brilliantly coached team.”

Enzo Maresca's next game with Chelsea will be against Manchester United on November 3 at Old Trafford.