Enzo Maresca: Chelsea still need time to learn despite first win

Enzo Maresca said his players still need time to learn his system despite securing his first win as Chelsea manager against Servette on Thursday.

Chelsea beat the Swiss side 2-0 at Stamford Bridge in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League play-offs, thanks to second-half goals from Christopher Nkunku and Noni Madueke.

Maresca described the win as “important” after losing 2-0 to Manchester City at the start of the Premier League season on Sunday. But he acknowledged his team could have managed the latter stages of the match, in which Servette hit the crossbar, better.

“The last 10 minutes we played a bit with fire,” Maresca said at a press conference. “I was a bit worried. We could have approached the game in a different way. I expected it, because we are in a learning moment.

“There are moments when the intention to keep the ball is the right one, especially when you are 2-0 up, but where it is not good. We tried to control the ball in the last 10 or 15 minutes on our side of the pitch, we have to do exactly the same on the other side of the pitch. We did not concede any goals, but we can learn from that.

“They all need more time to get to know the system better. Tonight was also not easy in terms of physical condition for some of them.”

Chelsea made nine changes from the team that lost to City but did enough to record a result that puts them in pole position to complete the job in the return leg in Geneva in a week’s time and reach the Conference League group stages.

Nkunku scored a penalty in the 50th minute after being brought down in the penalty area by Servette keeper Jeremy Frick. Madueke then came off the bench to give the London side some breathing space with a powerful finish in the 76th minute.

“I really like Noni,” Maresca said of Madueke. “The only problem with Noni is that he has to understand that he has to be consistent during the week, every training, every training, every training, but he is a good player and he has been doing well since he started with us. He is the kind of player that I like.

“The only thing he still needs to improve is to be consistent every day and work hard. Then he will definitely get playing time.”

Chelsea’s start to the season has been dominated by talk of comings and goings, with England internationals Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell missing from the squad for Thursday’s match and Maresca confirming that both are available for transfer. Meanwhile, new signing João Félix was introduced to fans ahead of the game.

One player who remains at the club is Mykhailo Mudryk, despite struggling since his €100million move to Stamford Bridge in January 2023. The Ukrainian winger played a rare 90 minutes on Thursday and Maresca said he will work to help Mudryk “change”.

“This is the mission, this is Mudryk, not only tonight but since he came to the club,” he said. “I think he has had good moments, but when he has the ball you don’t know if you’re going to get one or the other. It’s consistency. We’re going to try to help him change.

“When he’s in the final third, it’s about making the right decision. Most of his mistakes are about choice.”