Enzo Maresca was in fine form as the Chelsea head coach faced the media ahead of the Boxing Day clash with Fulham. The Chelsea boss held his press conference on Christmas Eve at Cobham.
There was plenty on the agenda to discuss, including Romeo Lavia's return from injury, the impressive record against Fulham at home in the top flight and Chelsea's place in the Premier League table.
Chelsea go into the clash at Stamford Bridge off the back of a goalless draw with Everton last Sunday. It was an opportunity to go to the top of the table, for a few hours, but the Blues drew a blank, meaning Liverpool remain out in front.
Here's every word the Chelsea boss just said ahead of the match with Fulham.
Are you surprised with where you are so far?
"We said many times that we are ahead of our expectations. The way we are playing, in terms of points, but the main focus for us is always how we can improve the players and improve game by game."
Is it you keeping pressure off the players by saying you're not in the title race?
"It's not about the pressure for the players, or the club, or me, it's the reality, I would like to have that kind of pressure and hopefully soon we can have that kind of pressure, but the reason I said we are not there is for me the reality is we're not there. The main point is to continue to improve and continue to try to win games."
Do you feel like there's a tough spell that could come and that could be the test for you to keep pace?
"Yes. It's about how we manage that kind of moment, but we are just focused on in this moment on tomorrow. We go game after game."
You have a good record against Fulham at home, the last time Fulham won at Stamford Bridge in the top flight was 1964
"It's football. Brentford was in the other side, we won that, hopefully it's not in the side you just mentioned in terms of games. I don't pay attention to the past or the game at home or the game away, I try to focus on what we do, how we can beat them, how we can be good off the ball, on the ball. The result you can't control, but you can control the way you play."
What are your thoughts on Marco Silva?
"Fantastic, they know each other very well, the team is playing well, clear what they do on the ball and off the ball."
Transfer window is opening, are you going to be busy, or is it going to be more players going out than coming in?
"I said already the main focus is we have a clear idea about players, but probably we have players who are not playing a lot that will leave, but it's not something we pay attention to yet, we have a couple of games first."
Plans for Christmas Day, what's Christmas like in the Maresca household?
"In Italy we used to celebrate Christmas tonight, have dinner with family, also tomorrow have something, but the main day is tonight, we have dinner with family and try to enjoy."
Can we have a team news update, on Lavia as well?
"Romeo is still recovering, he's much much better, but unfortunately not ready. Same situation with long-term injuries."
Good result against Everton, how do you physically and mentally help a player have clinical instinct?
"It's not experience, sometimes you score, sometimes you miss. In the last ten Premier League games Everton had seven clean sheets, that shows how difficult it is to create chances against them. We had three or four clear chances in first half and if we score the game changes. But we didn't score. I was very happy with the performance."
Cole Palmer didn't have much space, would that have been the same for someone subbed in for him?
"Now the next step for Cole is to manage that moment, most teams try to mark him man to man, that's difficult for him. We tried to continue with Cole because there was some moments he could do something. We cannot rely on Cole's shoulders for every game."
Enzo Fernandez spoke about his change in performance and how you've helped him. How collaborative are you with your management style, do you like players coming to you with ideas on how to do something?
"I think it's good to be open minded, but at the same time the player they focus on what they have to do and we are there to try to help them, but always we try to explain to them these kind of things. We are happy with Enzo.
Fulham mainly play in a bit of mid-block which has been a bit of issue for the team, how do you expect them to play?
"Sometimes they play with a line of four, sometimes they play with four with five with [Alex] Iwobi. Sometimes five at the back, they can play different systems."
Mykhailo [Mudryk] was at the boxing, has he been given time away from Chelsea while whole process.
"In this moment it's good he can disconnect a little bit from the situation."
How is he dealing with it?
"We try to support him and now we're just waiting."
No one has hit the post or crossbar more than Chelsea this season, do you see that as a good thing?
"We can control the way we want to play on the ball and off the ball but we cannot control the result, that's hitting the post, the crossbar or scoring goals. We create a lot, we have best attack in the Premier League, this is a good feeling, that means you are creating chances, this is what we want, hopefully in the future we can be a bit more lucky."
You say you're not in the title race, does that mean it's Liverpool's to lose?
"No, I think for sure reality says we're second and you're not second after four five games when table is not quite the real one. The table reflects the teams where they are. But Liverpool are doing fantastic since the first day, probably the squad they have already lived that kind of moment, winning trophies. I said last year when Liverpool faced Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final, I saw the amount of finals Liverpool players played and the Chelsea ones and there was a huge difference. This shows the experience you need to be in that race."
Are Man City still in it?
I think Man City at the end will be there. They are in a moment that never happened before. They don't have enough players in this moment, it's a very bad situation for them."
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Cole Palmer of Chelsea celebrates scoring his team's second goal from the penalty spot with team mate Jadon Sancho during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Brighton & Hove Albion FC at Stamford Bridge on September 28, 2024
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