Chelsea’s Carabao Cup tie with Lincoln City wasn’t as straightforward as many expected. The Blues trailed 1-0 at half-time, but Enzo Maresca’s fiery intervention in the dressing room inspired a turnaround that saw Tyrique George score and later assist Facundo Buonanotte to seal the win.

After the match, Maresca admitted he wasn’t pleased with what he saw in the first 45 minutes.

“Absolutely [he was angry]. We prepared the game thinking exactly the way the first half was,” the Chelsea boss said.

He explained that the sluggish start wasn’t about tactics, but more about mentality and maturity.
“Sometimes it’s about desire, but it’s about experience. Jamie Gittens never played in these kinds of games, Jorrel the same. It’s more about desire, and we struggled in the first half.”

The young Chelsea side, featuring academy talents still adapting to senior football, looked second best until Maresca’s half-time talk reignited their energy.

The Italian also stressed that this kind of challenge could serve as an important lesson for his squad.

He concluded: “If the next game in Carabao is against a League One or Two team away, for sure, tonight’s experience will be good.”