Chelsea’s gritty 1-0 win over Tottenham at Stamford Bridge was a night of passion, pressure, and ultimately, progress. But while Blues fans celebrated three massive points against a fierce London rival, manager Enzo Maresca offered a surprisingly candid post-match confession: he made a tactical error that nearly cost Chelsea the victory.

The match-winner came courtesy of Enzo Fernandez, whose powerful header early in the second half proved enough to secure Chelsea’s fifth straight home win in the Premier League. It was a landmark result that pushed the Blues back into the top four, but it wasn’t without drama.

Chelsea controlled large portions of the game and should have killed it off with better finishing. But in a bid to shut the game down late on, Maresca swapped Cole Palmer for Tosin Adarabioyo and shifted the team into a back five — a move he now admits was premature.

“To be honest, it was my mistake,” Maresca said after the game. “I made the changes before I saw the added time, and when I saw 12 minutes, I thought it was probably too early to make that kind of change.”

The tactical tweak gave Tottenham a lifeline. Instead of continuing to control the midfield, Chelsea dropped deeper, inviting pressure from a Spurs side desperate to find an equaliser. For 12 nerve-racking minutes of stoppage time, Chelsea were forced to defend wave after wave of attacks.

It was a gamble, and it very nearly backfired.

Maresca’s honesty is refreshing — a manager willing to take responsibility, even after a win. It’s also a sign of his growing maturity and humility in the Chelsea dugout. Where others might have deflected or spun the situation differently, Maresca owned the decision.

Still, Chelsea held firm. The back five, despite the tension, didn’t crumble. And that in itself is a major positive.

“Fortunately, we won the game, and we are happy,” Maresca added. And rightly so.

The Blues showed they can win dirty, not just beautifully — a quality every title-chasing team must master. Yes, there was a mistake. But there was also resilience, discipline, and heart.

If anything, the game was a reminder that Chelsea are learning, evolving — and winning — under Maresca. Even when the plan doesn’t go perfectly.

And as far as lessons go, this one came with three precious points.