Maresca: 'It's Just One Loss; We're Still in the Title Race'

Chelsea suffered a 2-1 loss to Fulham, despite initially leading with a goal from Cole Palmer. This defeat marks the first time since October 1999 that Chelsea has lost a Premier League match after scoring first. A victory could have brought them within one point of league leaders Liverpool, who have two games in hand. Currently, Chelsea stands four points behind Liverpool, having played two more matches.

Manager Enzo Maresca acknowledged the team's shortcomings, stating, "In the first 10 to 15 minutes of the second half, we were repeatedly caught by Fulham's transitions. We could have controlled this half much better." He concurred with Cole Palmer's post-match comments that Chelsea lost control and played into Fulham's hands, adding, "Yes, that's correct."

Maresca emphasized that the team remained competitive until conceding a late goal, noting, "We were in the game until the end, but unfortunately conceded in the final minute. We could have managed the game better. As I mentioned, in the second half, we were vulnerable to Fulham's transitions; they execute them well. We can and must learn many lessons from this game."

When questioned about Chelsea's title chances, Maresca responded, "No, nothing is lost. This is just one game that we unfortunately lost. Now we need to recover, regain our energy, and be ready to play again in three days."