Enzo Maresca sends five-word statement to Chelsea fans after Premier League opener

Enzo Maresca clung to Chelsea’s clean sheet like a comfort rug after the big-spending Blues began their season with a whimper, but told fans: "We're going to be better".

After pre-match fireworks to celebrate their Club World Cup triumph, Maresca’s side served up the equivalent of soggy blue touchpaper. And as Chelsea immediately lost ground on the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City on the first day of term, their Italian boss refused to be too downhearted.

He said: “I don’t think about (where we will finish) in May or June - I only think about the next game. For now, it’s just about Friday (at West Ham), no more than that.”

Maresca tried not to use Chelsea’s truncated pre-season as an excuse for their lack of sharpness, adding: “Palace played about eight games, we played just two, so we tried our best. We didn't lose a clean sheet.

"Until the end, we competed, we tried to win the game and we had some chances at the end with Estevao and Andrey Santos. We tried to share minutes (around the squad) but for sure, slowly, slowly we're going to be better.”

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Chelsea were relieved when Eberechi Eze’s bullet free-kick was disallowed because Marc Guehi was too close to the defensive wall, and goalkeeper Robert Sanchez thought it was was for a foul by the Eagles skipper on Moises Caicedo.

Sanchez said: ”Moises gets pushed into the gap - that's why I couldn't see at all and the ball goes over my head, so that's why it has to be a foul, 100 per cent.”

Palace boss Oliver Glasner praised Guehi and Eze’s unflinching commitment to the cause, despite both players being linked repeatedly with big-money moves before the transfer window shuts. When he was substituted six minutes from time, Eze’s pause to applaud the travelling fans looked suspiciously like a player saying goodbye.

But Glasner said: “I know the truth, I watch these players in every training session, and if most of the things written about them were true, they could not perform like this and they could not be as committed to each other and the group as they are.

“I expect Eb to be back playing for us against Fredrikstad on Thursday. He has a contract with Crystal Palace, he is a Palace player, and as long as he performs like this, he will continue to play for us.

“I was a little bit surprised when his free-kick was not allowed. Hopefully next time we can celebrate.”

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