Enzo Maresca singles out one Chelsea star for praise after Crystal Palace draw

01/04/2025 04:52 PM

Enzo Maresca hailed the performance of Chelsea debutant Josh Acheampong after the teenager impressed during Saturday’s 1-1 Premier League draw against Crystal Palace.

The 18-year-old was pressed into action following a spate of defensive injuries but looked the part alongside Levi Colwill.

There has been much debate over Acheampong’s future amid a contract stand-off but with his future now resolved Maresca gave the academy graduate a huge vote of confidence on Satuday.

Promoted ahead of the likes of Axel Disasi and Tosin Adarabioyo, Acheampong gave a composed performance at the heart of Chelsea’s defence.

‘All of the players for me were good today, but if I had to decide for one, I think Josh was our best player,’ said Maresca. ‘Because of the age, because it was the first game.

‘Josh for me can be a top player for this club, but he needs the right path, the right moment. With young players, you have to decide which moment, and we decided today because he was ready today.

‘I think he showed how good he is, and now again, because of the age, he has to slow down, work hard and take the next chance.’

Maresca, meanwhile, Maresca blamed a lack of clinical finishing after Jean-Philippe Mateta’s late equaliser salvaged a 1-1 draw for the Eagles.

Cole Palmer opened the scoring in the 14th minute of a first half dominated by Maresca’s visiting Blues, who squandered a number of chances to pad their lead before the Frenchman levelled eight minutes from time.

Fourth-placed Chelsea, once touted as title contenders, are now winless in their last four Premier League meetings and have just one point more than Newcastle, who edged closer to the Champions League places with victory over Tottenham.

Maresca said: ‘Two weeks ago, three weeks ago, we were talking about the title race. We knew that Newcastle, Aston Villa will be there, City will be, for sure there.

‘So it’s for me, it’s not about the table. It’s just about seeing how we can improve things.

‘Today, the performance for me was very good on the ball, off the ball.

‘But this moment of the season, I knew that is going to happen in any season for any team, that you have some moment that you are not able to win games.

‘The reason why? I think every game is different. Sometimes it’s for one reason, sometimes it’s for different reasons.

‘But today, if I have to decide the reason why we didn’t win the game, I think it’s just try to be clinical when you have the chance to kill the game.

‘If you continue to be open, open, open at the end, you’re going to concede.’