Maresca pleased with Chelsea’s fighting spirit

Enzo Maresca was pleased with the fight his players showed during a feisty 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge.

The visitors took the lead when Chris Wood tapped in after the break, before Noni Madueke fired in the equaliser with half an hour to play.

As Chelsea chased a winner after James Ward-Prowse’s 78th-minute dismissal for a second yellow card following a foul on Nicolas Jackson, emotions boiled over.

Scuffles erupted between the two sets of players in front of the benches after Neco Williams shoved Marc Cucurella into Maresca. Both players, and Blues defender Levi Colwill, were shown yellow cards for their part in the melee that ensued.

A total of six Chelsea players were booked during the game, but head coach Maresca insisted that his team don’t have a discipline problem.

Two of those players, Wesley Fofana and Cucurella, will be suspended for the trip to Liverpool after the international break after accumulating five yellow cards this season.

“In terms of these kinds of things, the team is fighting together, I don’t think they lost their heads,” Maresca said.

“I like the way that the team are fighting, I don’t see any problem with that. I like the spirit of our team.”

Pressed on the suspensions of Cucurella and Colwill, Maresca said his team will be ready to face league leaders Liverpool.

“We have the international break, we have time to organise,” he said.

“There are some things we can control, and we can do better – probably this [discipline] is one of those things. But if you ask me about the team spirit, the way we are fighting together, I’m very happy with it.”

Maresca also confirmed that both Colwill and goalscorer Maudeke are fine after they left the pitch in discomfort following the scuffle.

“They are both okay. I don’t think there is any problem with them,” he explained.