Every word Enzo Maresca said on the Chelsea mistake he made, Palmer assist, Tottenham game plan

Enzo Maresca has just conducted his post-match press conference after Chelsea's crucial Premier League victory over Tottenham.

Enzo Fernandez scored the only goal of the game on 50 minutes to give the three points and bragging rights to the Blues over their fierce rivals. Maresca has now completed a league double over Spurs at the first time of trying and he reacted to that down below.

How important was that win?

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"It's very important. First of all, because of the performance. We know how important it is in this moment to win games, but since we start, we try to win games in the way we want, and I think tonight the performance was very good."

Do you think that performance had more control than those before the international break?

"I said yesterday in the press conference, the last four games at home was Leicester, Southampton, West Ham and Wolves. Four teams that they sit back and wait for us. Tonight, Tottenham, it's a different kind of game, so for us in some way it's better."

Nervy final 12 minutes?

"No, yeah, probably I just said to the players, since day one we don't work every day to win the game in the way we win and play in the last 10 minutes. In terms of waiting for them and give the ball to them. But if you want to become a team, I think you need also to learn and to play in the way we played in the last 10 minutes. Win a game in a dirty way. Because I think for 90 minutes until the extra time we were in control, we created chances enough to win the game. We created chances enough in the first half.

"And then to be honest, that's been my mistake [bringing Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Tosin Adarabioyo on for Cole Palmer and Fernandez] because I did the change before I saw the extra time. And when I saw 12 minutes, I saw that probably it was too early to make that kind of change. But fortunately we won the game and we are happy."

Enzo, was that as animated as you've been this season? You seem to be really feeling it tonight. And secondly, did you sort of deliberately see a chance to play more long balls tonight with Jackson there?

"We are together already nine months. To be honest, I don't know how long we're going to be together, but until the day that I will be here, I will tell you that our game plan depends on the opposite. We don't do the same game plan. We cannot do the same game plan against Tottenham and against Leicester because they play completely different way.

"So tonight we use more balls in behind. It's because of Tottenham, the way they defend, the way they press. And Nico for us, since we start, I said many times that he's an important player because he's a threat. He's a threat for the defensive line. Off the ball, he's pressing everyone. For sure with Nico we are a different team.

And for you personally, it felt like you felt how important that result was?

"No, I was just focused on how we try to win the game. Probably also because it was a derby. In this moment, all the games are important. So probably also for that reason. But I have to say that my feeling from the bench tonight was that we had the best environment since we started the season with the fans. I was very happy with the way the fans were tonight.

"With them in the way they were tonight, we're going to achieve important things because they push us, they help us. So I'm very happy. And please, if they can do the same until the end, it's good for us."

Cole Palmer better tonight than in previous matches?

"To be honest, I think Cole Palmer's performance tonight was very similar to the rest of the performance. The only difference is that in the previous performance, he didn't score, he didn't assist. And because he's a top player, and probably the best player we have, every time he didn't score or didn't assist, it's a news. But for me it's something normal. I said many times that we cannot rely on Cole for every game. We cannot expect call every game, scoring or assist. And tonight the assist for Enzo was top assist. Enzo was in the right position. Very happy for him."