Blues boss insists starting an unfit Joao Pedro is proof he wasn’t saving players for Bayern Munich, after last-gasp draw.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca forcefully dismissed any notion that he prioritized Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Bayern Munich over Saturday’s Premier League match, after a last-gasp Brentford equalizer forced his side to settle for a painful 2-2 draw.
The Italian’s team selection had raised eyebrows, with several key players starting on the bench ahead of the trip to Germany. However, Maresca pointed to the inclusion of forward Joao Pedro as definitive proof of his commitment to the Brentford game, revealing the player had not even been at full fitness.
“Joao Pedro before the game told me he was not fit a hundred per cent, that it was better he doesn’t play,” Maresca revealed after the match. “If I was thinking about Bayern Munich, Joao is on the bench. But he played because the focus was about tonight. If we want to play in the Champions League next season, we need to do well in the Premier League.”
His strategic changes initially seemed inspired. After falling behind to a first-half goal from Kevin Schade, Maresca’s substitutes turned the tide. Cole Palmer came off the bench to level the score, and Moises Caicedo’s powerful strike five minutes from time seemed to have secured a comeback victory.
But the triumph was cruelly ripped away in stoppage time. A long throw-in fell to Brentford substitute Fabio Carvalho at the far post, who tapped in to break Chelsea’s hearts and secure a 2-2 draw.
While frustrated by the result, Maresca’s post-game focus was not on rotation but on execution, criticizing his team’s game management in the decisive moment. “It’s a shame because we conceded in the 93rd or 94th minute and we could have managed that moment better,” he said. “You have to be able to avoid transitions and set pieces – they scored from both.”
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