Enzo Maresca has said Chelsea's Conference League final triumph could be the “beginning” of his efforts to restore the club's glory.
The Blues bounced back after the break with a 4-1 win over Real Betis in Wroclaw, with Cole Palmer playing a key role in turning the game around.
The England striker provided assists for Enzo Fernandes and Nicholas Jackson before Jadon Sancho and Moises Caicedo completed the process as the team continued their push for Champions League qualification on Sunday.
“I hope this will be the starting point for developing a winning mentality,” Maresca said.
“We need to win games, we need to win trophies. And of course, the trophy we got today will make us stronger.
“But I'm also very proud of the journey we've made in the Premier League. For me, it's the toughest competition in the world. You have to be consistent over 38 games. And these players have shown that.
“That's why after the Nottingham Forest game my outburst was a bit excessive. But the reason is that in 38 games you need consistency. And with the youngest squad in Premier League history, that's really impressive.”
Chelsea scored 45 goals in 15 games, including the play-offs, 19 more than Betis, and ultimately showed a higher level of play than Maresca's side – although the Blues had been rocked before that.
They looked disoriented in the first half, with the Betis fans noisy and significantly outnumbering the Chelsea fans.
The atmosphere seemed to have an effect on Malo Gusto, whose mistake allowed Abda Ezzalzouli to open the scoring in the ninth minute and then almost gifted a second to Johnny Cardoso, who missed a great chance.
The game changed after five minutes of Palmer's brilliance. Chelsea looked headed for defeat and a bitter end to Sunday's Champions League win at Nottingham Forest when Palmer whipped a brilliant pass into the box from nowhere for Fernandes to head home.
The equaliser woke Chelsea up and spurred Palmer on. A few minutes later he set up Jackson for another superb cross, and the striker deftly moved his feet to meet the ball with his shoulder and give Chelsea the lead.
That seemed to exhaust Betis and the Blues had it easy from there. Sancho came off the bench to score a superb goal into the top corner and then Caicedo added another for a beaten Betis, netting a fourth in injury time.
“We all know (Palmer) is a top-level player,” Maresca said.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
