Enzo Maresca has warned onlookers not to judge Chelsea against their past glory days and urged supporters to “trust” him after taking a significant step towards Champions League qualification on Friday.
Marc Cucurella’s 71st-minute goal gave the Blues a hard-fought 1-0 win over Manchester United at Stamford Bridge which took them up to fourth place in the Premier League table.
The top five will secure a spot in Europe’s premier club competition next season and victory at Nottingham Forest on the final day will guarantee Chelsea’s place.
However, Maresca believes Chelsea’s critics are assessing the club against their illustrious recent past under former owner Roman Abramovich, when they won 21 trophies including two Champions League across 19 years.
“For me, personally the problem is in general, you, the press,” Maresca told Sky Sports. “You think it is the same Chelsea from years ago. It is not the same.
“I don’t think since I am here, we are expecting more money than other clubs. It is about building something important. People have to trust us — we are going in the right direction.”
A relieved Maresca and his bench as well players and fans celebrated wildly at the final whistle.
“Off the ball I think we played a fantastic game,” Maresca added. “The team was very aggressive until the end, we tried to press higher, and I think we deserved to win the game.
“It is nice to work on some solutions and then you score.”
It was the last home game of the season for Chelsea, whose form has run hot and cold under since Maresca took over, and they circled the ground with a lap of honour before leaving the pitch
“The Champions League is where the club belongs, competing in the best competitions,” Reece James, who provided the assist for Cucurella’s winner, told Sky Sports.
“People like to write us off and call us young, but it’s an experienced Manchester United team and we did what we needed to do to get the three points.”
Information from Reuters contributed to this report.
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