Maresca Praises Chelsea's 'Nasty' Performance Against Everton

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca hails his team's 'nasty' win over Everton, moving them closer to a Champions League spot. Learn more about the match.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca praised his team's “nasty” performance after a hard-fought 1-0 win over Everton, keeping their Champions League hopes alive. Nicolas Jackson's first-half strike from 20 yards secured the victory at Stamford Bridge.

The win moved Chelsea back into the Premier League's top five, boosting their chances of qualifying for next season's Champions League. It was Chelsea's third win in five league games, easing pressure on Maresca, who had faced criticism for his team's cautious tactics during a mid-season slump.

Chelsea's win was marked by a nervy finale, with goalkeeper Robert Sanchez making two crucial saves to preserve the lead. Maresca praised his team's character, saying, “First half we controlled the game, we dominated, created chances and didn't concede nothing. Then second half we dropped a little bit. We were strong, nasty enough when we needed to be like that. Overall I think we deserved to win and we are happy.”

Sanchez, who has made costly errors this season, redeemed himself with key saves, justifying Maresca's trust in him.

Robert Sanchez made two crucial saves to preserve Chelsea's 1-0 lead over Everton. He denied Beto with a low save to his right and then made a fabulous reaction save on Dwight McNeil deep into stoppage time.

Happy with the three points and performance. ✅#CFC | #CHEEVE pic.twitter.com/vAJyJBQVFG

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) April 26, 2025

Maresca praised the team's support for Sanchez, saying, “You can see how his team-mates celebrated with him at the end of the game. The team know that for Robert it's not been a good moment so they try to support and help him.”

“He had many good moments this season. The one against Tottenham at home, we were winning 1-0 and 90 minutes he did a great save.

“It's normal that as human beings you remember the bad things and not the good things. About Robert, we remember the mistakes but he's had some very good moments with us.”

A crucial victory! ✊#CFC | #CHEEVE pic.twitter.com/U4OpmPJ8m7

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) April 26, 2025