Blues boss Enzo Maresca concerned as Atalanta fight back to beat Chelsea 2-1

BERGAMO – Enzo Maresca admitted he was “worried” by Chelsea’s slump after Atalanta’s 2-1 victory in the Champions League on Dec 9 extended the Blues’ winless run to four matches.

Joao Pedro’s first-ever Champions League goal put the Blues ahead in the first half in Bergamo.

But Maresca’s men lost their momentum after the interval and former West Ham United striker Gianluca Scamacca grabbed the equaliser before Charles de Ketelaere, who provided the assist for Atalanta’s leveller, capped off his influential display with the late winner.

Chelsea found it impossible to subdue Belgium attacker de Ketelaere, who has six goals and seven assists in his last 12 Champions League appearances.

Since their memorable 3-0 win over Barcelona in the Champions League on Nov 25, the Blues have lost two and drawn two of their next four matches.

Maresca’s side have 10 points from six league phase games and their bid for a top-eight finish – which guarantees automatic qualification for the last 16 – is now on a knife-edge. They sit 11th ahead of the Dec 11 round of matches.

“I am always worried. Two points in four games is not what we expect and we have to do better,” Maresca said. “First half we were winning, we were good and controlling the game. After we conceded the first goal, we lost control a little bit of the game.

“We had different chances to make it 2-0 and when we conceded 1-1, the dynamic changed a little bit.

“We are playing every two days. For a moment, we looked like we struggled a bit. Now it’s about trying to win the next game.”

Third-placed Atalanta have enjoyed wins over Club Brugge, Olympique Marseille, Eintracht Frankfurt and Chelsea this season as they chase a last-16 berth.

Maresca made five changes from the 0-0 English Premier League draw at Bournemouth on Dec 6, with Cole Palmer rested after his return last weekend from a two-month injury absence.

There was no place for Chelsea’s emerging teenage star Estevao Willian, who has three Champions League goals this season and starred against Barcelona.

Maresca’s reshuffled line-up took the lead in the 25th minute. Pedro deftly slotted in Reece James’ cross from four metres but the goal was initially disallowed for offside, before a video assistant referee check ruled in favour of the Brazilian forward.

It was only his third goal for the Blues in his last 16 games in all competitions.

James should have doubled Chelsea’s lead when he smashed just wide from the edge of the area early in the second half. It was a crucial miss and Scamacca made James pay as Atalanta drew level in the 55th minute.

De Ketelaere then snatched the winner in the 83rd minute.

The Blues’ last two matches are in January, at home against Pafos and away to Napoli.

“Probably we need two wins. Sixteen points might get you top eight, I’m not sure... If we want to finish top eight, we need to win both,” added Maresca.

In another match, Tottenham Hotspur bolstered their bid to qualify for the last 16 with a 3-0 home win over Slavia Prague in front of their former star Son Heung-min.

As South Korea forward Son watched from the stands, Thomas Frank’s side eased to a valuable victory thanks to David Zima’s first-half own goal and penalties from Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons after the interval. AFP