Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca expressed his disappointment following a late defeat to Fulham at Stamford Bridge on Boxing Day. The visitors overturned an early goal by Cole Palmer, with late strikes from Harry Wilson and Rodrigo Muniz sealing a dramatic 2-1 victory for the Cottagers.

Speaking after the match, Maresca admitted: “It is a shame, especially in the way we lost the game in the last minute. It happened, and now it is about recovering energy and being ready to go again in a couple of days.”

Maresca highlighted the need for better game management, saying: “We could have managed the game better, controlled better, but it is a game we can learn things from. We have said many times we are a very, very young team, but the most important thing is to see them growing and improving.”

With a tight schedule ahead, Maresca emphasised recovery: “Tomorrow we are in recovery, and on Saturday we prepare for Monday’s game. It is important to recover the energy.”

Despite the setback, the Chelsea boss reiterated the bigger picture of his project: “I said many times, no matter if we win games or don’t, it is more the reality we can see inside that, for many reasons, we are not ready [to challenge for the title]. The most important thing is to see the team improve.”