Romeo Lavia has been left speechless after Dejan Kulusevski went unpunished for a dangerous challenge during Chelsea's 4-3 win over Tottenham Hotspur. In the first-half, the Lilywhites winger struck the Blues midfielder on the back of the head with his elbow.Anthony Taylor had a great view of the incident, yet Kulusevski was not adjudged to have fouled Lavia. The Video Assistant Referee, Jarred Gillett, and his assistant, Mark Scholes, reviewed the clash, but they claimed the encounter 'lacked excessive force'. The Chelsea ace was substituted at half-time, shortly after the incident, with many questioning the severity of the head injury. However, speaking to reporters after the game, Enzo Maresca confirmed that Lavia had suffered a minor hamstring problem, so he was taken off as a precaution. Discussing his half-time changes, he said: "First of all we had a problem with Romeo Lavia. That meant Malo Gusto came on and we moved Moi [Caicedo] and changed the attacking midfielder. The changes were good.
Romeo Lavia shows off his head wound after Chelsea's 4-3 win over Tottenham Hotspur
(Image: Instagram: @romeolavia - https://www.instagram.com/stories/romeolavia/3518716710762476029/)
"(Lavia) had a hamstring problem but now he is OK. We don’t want to take risks in December. Sometimes it’s better to make changes after 45 minutes rather than lose a player for five or six games." In the dressing room, Lavia snapped a picture of a bloody wound on his head and uploaded it to his Instagram story. Remaining coy, the 20-year-old simply captioned the X-rated post with an ellipsis. Nevertheless, Maresca was delighted with his side's performance. Reflecting on what was an incredible comeback behind enemy lines, the Chelsea boss said: "Two-nil down, it was the worst picture for us. We conceded two goals from Cucu [slipping] and a couple more chances from the wrong build-up. Second-half, we deserve to win the game." He added: "We are trying to work mentally and togetherness, to come to this stadium and think you are going to win and not suffer, it's impossible. It's the perfect win probably because of this." Then, sending a message to his players, Maresca said: "After the game, my message to the players is to be focused in the day by day, our sessions, the next game on Thursday and then Sunday. The main focus has to be to enjoy the day off and when we come back, 100 per cent, train well, go for the game. "The fans can dream because from the outside, it is quite clear and inside, the reality is we are not ready but the important thing is we improve day by day."
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