Chelsea Manager Enzo Maresca Says It's A Shame They Left Brentford With A Point

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca admitted that leaving the Gtech Community Stadium with only a draw felt like a missed opportunity after his side allowed Brentford to snatch a stoppage-time equaliser in a fiercely contested London derby.

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For Maresca, the outcome was difficult to digest, particularly after a much-improved second-half display that appeared to have put Chelsea on course for victory.

Reflecting on the game, the Italian was candid about his side’s uneven performance across the two halves. “We knew that it was a tough game” he told Sky Sports. “The first half we struggled to find solutions, the space because they were defending very good.

“I think the second half we were much better. It’s a shame because we conceded in 93m 94 minutes, and we could have managed better that moment.”

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That late concession, from a long throw that produced panic in the box, epitomised the defensive lapses that undermined an otherwise strong recovery.

Brentford had established their foothold through Kevin Schade’s well-taken finish in the 35th minute, a goal that exposed Chelsea’s vulnerability to quick transitions. Maresca was quick to point out that the source of both goals conceded was an area of concern.

He said: “You have to be able to avoid transitions and set pieces – they scored from transitions and set pieces. It’s something we deal quite well with during the game, but in the end, we concede, and it’s a shame.”

Chelsea’s initial line-up bore the marks of calculated rotation, with Maresca managing minutes for several players returning from fitness issues or international duty.

“Always Fofana, we plan 45 minutes for him. Hato is similar. Buonanotte, the last period has not been great for him, knowing he has to go somewhere. Overall, they were okay,” he explained, underlining the challenges of balancing player welfare with the demands of competition.

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The second half, however, saw a clear shift. Chelsea’s substitutes altered the tempo and provided the attacking thrust that had been missing early on. Cole Palmer, introduced after a spell on the sidelines, showed his sharpness with a well-taken strike to bring Chelsea level.

“Almost three weeks out for him, we know how it is, we know he will help us, and he was very good when inside [the team],” Maresca noted, highlighting the midfielder’s importance moving forward.

Moises Caicedo’s driven effort later tilted the contest in Chelsea’s favour, yet it proved insufficient once Brentford mounted one final surge. For Maresca, the positives of the second-half display were overshadowed by the failure to see the game out.

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“I think we were much, much better. I think we deserve to win the game in the second half but it’s a shame. We lost two points.” His words captured the frustration of a night where Chelsea’s quality eventually surfaced but was undermined by late frailties.

As Chelsea prepare for the challenge of Bayern Munich in Europe, Maresca’s reflections point to a squad still learning how to cope with rotation.

The Brentford draw underlines the margins that define success and frustration in the Premier League, leaving Chelsea with the feeling that one point could, and should have been three.