Maresca: Rest Assured, Palmer Is Not an Ordinary Player
Chelsea's head coach, Enzo Maresca, lauded his team's resilience and highlighted Cole Palmer's exceptional performance in their 4-3 comeback victory over Tottenham Hotspur.
In a thrilling Premier League encounter, Chelsea overcame a two-goal deficit to secure a 4-3 victory against Tottenham Hotspur in North London. Early goals from Dominic Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski put Tottenham ahead, but a long-range strike from Jadon Sancho brought Chelsea back into the game before halftime.
In the second half, Cole Palmer showcased his composure by converting two penalties, the second with a remarkable 'Panenka' technique. Additionally, a stunning left-footed goal from Enzo Fernández contributed to Chelsea's lead. Although Son Heung-min scored in stoppage time for Tottenham, it wasn't enough to prevent Chelsea from claiming the derby victory.
After the match, head coach Enzo Maresca praised his team's mental strength, stating, "Coming to this stadium and conceding two goals immediately after the start is not good. It's good that the players are mentally strong."
Addressing Palmer's performance, Maresca remarked, "Since I've been here, I hadn't seen Cole take penalties in games. The second penalty was excellent—very calm and unique. His work with the ball during the game was also outstanding. Cole belongs to that category of players who are not ordinary; they are top players. Top players do things that normal players don't. He is a top player. Rest assured, we can expect these moves from Cole."
Regarding the slips by Marc Cucurella that led to Tottenham's early goals, Maresca commented, "These things can happen. Players slip in football. Unfortunately, it happened twice, but it was nothing more than that."