Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca felt his team’s 2-0 defeat to the Blues at Portman Road was a strange game which illustrated that the West Londoners lack the consistency to compete with the Premier League’s top sides at present.

Liam Delap, a player Maresca is known to covet, and ex-Chelsea forward Omari Hutchinson netted the goals which claimed Town’s first home win of the season.

“It was a bit of a strange game,” he reflected. “We created so many chances in the first half and in the first five or 10 minutes of the second half, we had two clear chances; the header from Joao [Felix] and another shot.

“Then I think the second goal killed the game a little bit. Sometimes when you create so many chances, the post, the VAR, the keeper saves or the defenders that block the shot, sometimes it has to go in that way.

“It's a shame because it was another chance for us but congratulations to them because probably when you save so many shots on the line, the goalkeeper, the body, the desire from them was very high.’"

He added: “We expected this kind of moment during the season because we know that this kind of moment belongs to football. It is almost impossible to have a season where you do not have a moment like now for us.”

Regarding man of the match Delap, who Maresca worked with during his time as development squad coach at Manchester City and who Chelsea are believed to be keeping close tabs on, the Italian said: “This is Liam. I know Liam from some time ago. Probably in some moments we can defend a bit better. But congratulations to him and to them.”

Maresca was asked what his centre-halves could have done better, having kept another physical striker, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, in check when they drew 0-0 with Everton recently.

“I think Liam is a bit different to [Dominic] Calvert-Lewin in terms of skills,” he continued. “But I think first half we conceded a penalty and then we conceded one or two more chances in the same way; long ball for Liam, try to defend the ball and shoot.

“In the second half, it was copy and paste. Again, we conceded the goal because we unfortunately made a mistake. Then they had some more moments, exactly the same - a longer ball for Liam and he fights against everyone and shoots. This is Liam. Liam and Calvert-Lewin, I think they're a bit different.”

Regarding the spot-kick Delap won and scored in the first half which some of his team bitterly contested, he said: “They [the players] said it’s a bit soft but we have to accept it’s a penalty.”

Chelsea have dropped from second to fourth following a Christmas period which saw them draw with the Toffees and then lose at home to Fulham on Boxing Day.

“Not one of us in this room expected us to be where we are now,” Maresca insisted. “This means and shows that we are in the right direction, as I’ve said many times, but also shows that we are far from competing [with] consistency and to be there with the best teams in England.

“I think we [have] to be satisfied with where we are but at the same time we need to know we [can] do things better.”

TWTD

Bazza8564 added 10:19 - Dec 31 Well fair play to him, he doesn't moan about decisions or luck he is decent enough to admit our style (which we choose as necessity not choice to get by in the PL) and he is complementary about Liam. Ive read so many reports of interviews with managers and owners (Accrington springs to mind) when they claim injustice and whinge they were robbed. And sorry about the second goal killing the game fella, but thats what two goal leads are for :)

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Lord_Mac added 11:46 - Dec 31 I just love the assumption that all he has to do is wave his hands and Delap would jump ship! OK if we go down he will, but if we stay up, we are no longer the selling club that we once were. Chelsea might be though.
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Karlosfandangal added 12:11 - Dec 31 Lord Mac If KmK goes agree 100% However if Town do go down I can see him staying for a season like Matt Holland did. The problem is if silly money gets thrown around that Town can’t match…..saying that the stops were pulled out to keep KmK
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ChingShady added 12:33 - Dec 31 What are these shots off the line he's talking about? We watching different games or? Though fair play, doesn't seem to make excuses like some of the other big boy managers. Little similar in the way he talks about the game like Kieran does. I will say, if they weren't offside for the Jao Felix equaliser, it really could of been a different game for us.
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Rimsy added 13:15 - Dec 31 I like Maresca, seems a decent bloke and his synopsis was spot on from a Chelsea pov. Gracious in defeat and didn't knock us at all.
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poet added 13:34 - Dec 31 I think people like Maresca are so conceited that they live their lives in a bubble and convince themselves that it’s all true. They were second best to us practically all of the match. He speaks of Walton’s save but ignores the fact that his keeper kept them in the game with at least 2 good saves. Then he speaks of our defenders blocking shots as if they were lucky to do so…. That’s what good defenders do Mr Maresca, that’s what they are there for. No, this interview is brimming with sour grapes, rather than face facts, he’s constrained himself to his bubble where only his world exists…. Pathetic.

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BlueRuin69 added 14:22 - Dec 31 Deluded pr…. You got Delaped!
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blues1 added 20:16 - Dec 31 Poet. What are you on about? Hows he being conceited? Just said it as it was. And he didn't say we were "lucky" to have cleared the ball off the line. Think ur reading something into his comments that literally arent there. A totally fair reflection of thd game. Yes, we were the better team for much of the game. But had the goal not been disallowed, r theyd found an equaliser, they'd likely have gone on to win the game. So yes, he right, the 2nd goal did realistically kill the game.

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Dissboyitfc added 15:15 - Jan 1 he talks as though its a back to the walls smash and grab, it wasnt , we defended well and attacked well when given the chance thaey had lots of poissession but never really means much if you dont create and score!
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