Enzo Maresca has opened up on the celebration he shared with Mykhailo Mudryk after the winger scored in Chelsea’s 4-1 win over Panathinaikos in the Europa Conference League.
Mudryk scored as Chelsea secured a comfortable win in Athens to continue their perfect start in the competition, and headed to the touchline to celebrate with head coach Maresca.
The Ukrainian has endured a difficult time since signing for Chelsea in a high-profile move from Shakhtar Donetsk and Maresca said Mudryk’s goal was reward for hard work on the training ground.
“I’m very happy but not for me, for him,” Maresca said after the win in Greece.
“We as a staff spend a long time helping the players, not only Misha but the whole squad, and since we started we have been working with all the wingers so that they arrive inside the box and into the position where Misha scored.
“He has struggled to arrive there but he is now arriving there and it’s where we will score goals. It’s the same for Jadon (Sancho), Noni (Madueke), Pedro (Neto), all the wingers, they need to be in that position because the ball is going to arrive in that position.”
It was a pleasing night for a second-string Chelsea side, with Joao Felix scoring a brace and Christopher Nkunku also on target. Several of the players who featured have struggled for minutes in the Premier League this season but Maresca said each are taking the chances that arrive.
“What we want is what the players are doing: taking the chance when we give the chance. Tonight again they showed this and I’ve said since we started that if we want to be there and compete we need all the players doing the right things. They are doing that.
“For sure, on Sunday [against Newcastle], we will make changes because we have more players [to choose from] but the important thing is they perform in the right way and the identity of the team remains the same.
“It was a very good performance. I think we struggled a little at the beginning of the game, especially off the ball in the way we were pressing. Then we made an adjustment and we were much better. On the ball, I think we were good.”
