Maresca: “Leeds were better than us in all aspects”
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca addressed the media immediately after a frustrating 3–1 defeat to Leeds United at Elland Road, and his verdict left little room for sugarcoating.
“They were better than us in all aspects, they deserved to win the game. There is nothing we can take from this game, the only thing we can do is to try and understand what we did and then reset,” Maresca said.
The Italian acknowledged the contrast in performances following Chelsea’s impressive showings against Arsenal and Barcelona.
“We perform so well against Arsenal and Barcelona, it doesn’t mean we are going to always perform in the same way because of the situation you have to manage, the players you have to rotate. The level isn’t always going to be the same.”
Maresca’s comments underline the difficulties of squad rotation and selection in a congested fixture period. With Moises Caicedo suspended, Wesley Fofana and Reece James unavailable, and key defensive adjustments needed, the Blues struggled to maintain stability at the back.
One notable issue was the decision to play Tosin Badiashile over academy graduate Josh Acheampong, which also saw Trevoh Chalobah shifted to right-back — a move that didn’t pay off against the high-intensity Leeds attack.
The Blues now face the challenge of regrouping quickly ahead of their upcoming fixtures, with consistency and squad balance top of mind for Maresca as the season enters a critical phase.
Predictions
Fixtures and Results
Transfers
Injuries
Chelsea Academy
Chelsea Women