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Enzo Maresca praised captain Reece James’ all-round performance following Chelsea’s dramatic 2-2 Premier League draw with Newcastle United, while also revealing the calm message delivered at half-time that helped spark the Blues’ comeback.
Chelsea faced a stern test at St James’ Park in Saturday’s early kick-off, with Newcastle’s intensity and physicality putting the Blues under pressure in the first half. Falling two goals behind before the break, the task looked daunting—but Chelsea responded with character and resilience to secure a hard-earned point.
The turnaround began shortly after half-time when Reece James produced a moment of quality, curling a superb free-kick that bounced in off the base of the left-hand post. Momentum shifted, and Chelsea drew level when Joao Pedro latched onto a long kick from Robert Sanchez and raced through to finish clinically.
Maresca: “Reece Put in a Top Performance”
James’ influence once again stood out, continuing a run of impressive displays, and Maresca was quick to commend his captain’s versatility and leadership.
“Once again he put in a top performance,” Maresca said after the final whistle.
“He played for one hour as a midfielder and then the last half-an-hour as a full-back in his position. He is doing a fantastic job—not only for the goal, but in general—so we are very happy for him.”
Calm, Not Fury, at Half-Time
Despite the difficult first half, Maresca revealed there were no raised voices or fiery speeches in the dressing room during the interval. Instead, the focus was on trust and belief in the game plan.
“Even if we were 2-0 down and the performance was not good, from the bench I could see that the plan we prepared was the right one,” the Italian explained.
“The message at half-time was to continue to trust what we were doing. It was a matter of scoring the first one—if we could do that, we had a chance to win the game.
“That was my message to them. There were no angry words today.”
Lessons Learned, Positives Taken
Maresca acknowledged there were lessons to be learned from the first-half struggles but was keen to emphasise the broader positives from the week, which also included a Carabao Cup quarter-final victory over Cardiff City and four Premier League points.
“Last week we won against Everton, during the week we reached a semi-final, and a draw away at Newcastle is an important result,” he said.
“It’s always a chance to learn. There are many things we can take from the first half, but I’m very happy with the reaction of the players.”
