Chelsea played out a 2-2 draw against Newcastle United over the weekend, securing just one point. Fortunately, the Blues are still holding on to their top-four position in the Premier League table but just by a thread.
Chelsea’s first-half performance against Newcastle United was one of the worst they have produced this season. They were 2-0 down by the 20th minute, with Nick Woltemade scoring both goals.
However, the second-half performance from the Blues was the total opposite, and Enzo Maresca surely got his tactics right after the break. Chelsea came back into the match courtesy of goals from Reece James and Joao Pedro and left Newcastle with a hard-fought point.
Meanwhile, on top of the of goals, there wasn’t any shortage of yellow cards either, especially for the Blues, as six of their players were booked by the referee as things got heated at St. James’ Park. Additionally, Maresca also ended up in the book.
Enzo Maresca reveals reason he will miss the matchup against Aston Villa
As a result of the booking against Newcastle United, the Italian manager will miss the upcoming matchup against Aston Villa. Football London reported that Maresca spoke in the post-match interview and talked about the reason he reacted. He stated:
"It is better if... I was complaining just because the same foul was a yellow card for us and they did exactly the same foul three times. Make a foul from behind and no yellow card. So I was just complaining why the same foul, one is yellow card and the other one is no yellow card. So this is the reason why I complained with the referee."Enzo Maresca
Maresca has done an admirable job overall at Chelsea. He led the team to win the Conference League and be crowned World Champions last season. In this campaign as well, he has managed to limit the impact of injuries on the squad, and the Blues are still in a position to have a successful campaign.
That being said, there are some shortcomings to be worried about as well. One of them is their disciplinary record. And Maresca himself has entered the referee's book quite a few times.
In the absence of Maresca against Aston Villa, Willy Caballero is expected to take charge. The Birmingham-based club, who are sitting in third position in the table, are in top form and might be the toughest challenge in the Premier League right now.