Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca defended his decision to use just two out of five available substitutions in the 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace, a move that raised eyebrows among fans and reporters alike.

When asked about his reluctance to make more changes, a trend observed in previous games, Maresca responded with a question of his own: “Let me ask you, which player would you change today?”

He elaborated on his philosophy, saying, “I know that is my job, but sometimes when we do some changes, it is because there is one that is not good enough and we change for another one. Or simple, one that is playing is tired and is not pressing good. Today I think the 11 on the pitch were all good.”

Maresca highlighted the performances of his starters, naming them individually: “Pedro [Neto] was very good, Jadon [Sancho] was good, Nico [Jackson] was good, Cole [Palmer] was good, Enzo [Fernandez] was good, Moi [Caicedo] was good, Levi [Colwill] was good, Josh [Acheampong] was good. Make change for change, I don’t like.”

He further explained his rationale for the substitutions he did make: “I like to make changes when we know the reason why, and the reason why we changed Nico was because he was pressing and was a bit tired. Marc [Guiu] was fresh, new energy, and it is exactly the same with Noni for Jadon. This is the reason why.”

The only changes during the game saw Marc Guiu and Noni Madueke replace Nicolas Jackson and Jadon Sancho. Meanwhile, notable players like Reece James, Joao Felix, and Christopher Nkunku remained on the bench.