Maresca hints at red card influence ‘too easy to make decisions in some stadiums’ as 10-man Chelsea lose 2-0

Enzo Maresca has called on Chelsea to show character after their Champions League hopes suffered a serious blow in a 2-0 defeat at Newcastle United on Sunday.

A red card for Nicolas Jackson midway through the first half changed the complexion of a match that had already started badly for the Blues, who fell behind early to Sandro Tonali’s volley.

Despite playing with ten men for over an hour, Chelsea grew into the game and dominated long spells of the second half, but were undone by a late deflected strike from Bruno Guimaraes.

Maresca admitted that Chelsea’s task was already difficult before the dismissal, let alone with a man down at St James’ Park.

“It’s difficult even 11-v-11 in this stadium,” he said post-match. “With 10 players it’s not easy, but the team showed spirit and togetherness. That’s what we need to carry into Friday.”

The manager was restrained in his assessment of the red card but hinted at frustration over the influence of the home crowd on the decision.

“Sometimes it’s too easy to make decisions in some stadiums,” he added. “If the referee decides it’s a red, it’s a red. But it’s not easy to play with that noise around.”

The straight red card means Jackson will miss Chelsea’s final two league fixtures – a suspension that could prove critical in the race for a top-five finish.

However, Maresca was keen to draw a line under the result.

“The game is finished – now we think about the next one,” he said. “It’s the same message I gave after the wins – move on quickly. We didn’t win today, but the effort was top.”

Defender Marc Cucurella echoed his manager’s sentiments, praising the team’s second-half performance while acknowledging the need to bounce back immediately.

“We are really disappointed,” he said. “But we created chances with ten men and still had belief. If we play like we did in the second half, we can win our last two games.”

On Jackson’s red card, Cucurella said the striker was frustrated but reflective.

“He wants to help the team, but now we need to learn from it,” he said. “It’s a big mistake, but others are ready to step in. We move forward.”

Chelsea now face a tense end to the campaign, knowing two wins from their final two matches could still be enough to secure Champions League qualification.