Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has defended Cole Palmer after the forward missed a late chance in their 2-1 loss to Aston Villa on Saturday night.

Palmer, who has been one of Chelsea’s standout performers this season, was unable to convert a key opportunity as the Blues chased an equaliser. However, Maresca remained supportive of the young attacker.

He said: “Cole is a top player. Top players always want to win and play an important part but today he could not. He had some great chances that he missed but nothing changes. We are very happy with him.”

Maresca also stressed the importance of collective responsibility rather than relying on one player to make the difference.

“We expect exactly what he can give us but I said many times we cannot rely on him for every game. We need all the team. Today was good but unfortunately we lost. We hate to lose but this is a bad moment.”

With Chelsea struggling for consistency, Maresca will be hoping his squad steps up to support Palmer as they look to bounce back from another disappointing result.