Chelsea manager, Enzo Maresca, admitted his side had to dig deep to secure a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Tottenham on Thursday, declaring: “If we want to become an important team, we need to win in a dirty way, an ugly way.”
A first-half strike from Enzo Fernández proved decisive at Stamford Bridge, sealing Chelsea’s fifth straight home win and completing a Premier League double over Spurs for the second consecutive season—a feat last achieved by the Blues between 1999 and 2002.
Despite dominating early and creating multiple chances, Chelsea had to endure a nervy finish as Tottenham pushed for an equalizer. Maresca praised his team’s resilience in the closing stages, saying: “In the last 10 minutes, the team showed effort, togetherness, spirit—and it’s something that we need.”
The Italian coach acknowledged that while Chelsea’s performance wasn’t flawless, the result was crucial in their push for Champions League qualification. “The result is important because we’re close to the end of the season,” he told Sky Sports*. “At the same time, we tried to achieve it playing in the way we want to play.”
Chelsea’s Home Fortress & Fernández’s Historic Feat
The Blues have now taken 31 points at Stamford Bridge this season—more than any Premier League side except the top two. Meanwhile, Fernández became only the third Chelsea midfielder to score home and away against Spurs in a single campaign, joining club legends Roberto Di Matteo (1996-97) and Gus Poyet (1998-99).
With momentum building, Maresca emphasized that progress is measured not just by results but by daily improvement. “From my point of view, I try to see how we improve day by day,” he said. “Since the first day, the team is getting better and better.”
For now, Chelsea will take the win—no matter how ugly it had to be.
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