Enzo Maresca will have come away from Chelsea’s draw against Newcastle in a much better mood than he would have been at half-time.
His team talk at the break clearly made an impact, as the Blues rallied from two goals down to salvage a point.
Reece James played a crucial role at both ends of the pitch, with his brilliant free-kick sparking the comeback and his work rate helping keep Newcastle out late on.
Terry was impressed by James’ performance and also gave credit to Maresca for his halftime adjustments, which helped change the course of the match.
Maresca to miss Villa match after booking in Chelsea draw
Maresca will miss Chelsea’s next match against Aston Villa after picking up his third yellow card of the season during the Newcastle game.
Speaking after the match, Maresca explained that he was booked for questioning why a Newcastle foul hadn’t resulted in a yellow card, despite similar challenges against his side being penalised.
He told Football London: “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.”
Who’s likely to take over for Chelsea against Aston Villa?
With Enzo Maresca serving a touchline ban, he’ll be watching from the stands as Chelsea face Aston Villa, hoping to close the gap on the teams above them.
Stepping in again will likely be Willy Caballero, who previously took charge during Maresca’s suspension against Liverpool and oversaw a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest.
Maresca will still have an influence on the team from afar, including decisions about the starting lineup for their final game of 2025.
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