Enzo Maresca was happy that Chelsea showed their ability to win ugly against Tottenham on Thursday, while the blues increased their hope for Champions League football.
The second half of the second half of Enzo Fernandez turned out to be decisive at Stamford Bridge, because Chelsea claimed a deserved victory over their London rivals.
Chelsea was the better team for long periods, where Guglielmo Vicario made a stunning salvation to deny Jadon Sancho late in the first half, after Micky Van de Ven had hit his own post.
The only real response from Spurs came when Pape Sarr out of a shot past Robert Sanchez from 25 meters out with 20 minutes to play, but that strike was not allowed after a VAR evaluation, because the replacement was ruled to pollute Moises Caicedo.
That VAR-Intervention-Even if another assessment that led to a Caicedo volley was abolished to 12 minutes from the second half of the time that was played, and Maresca was happy with the way Chelsea navigated that period.
Speaking with Sky Sports said Maresca: “The result is an important part because we are close to the end of the season.
“At the same time we try to achieve the result in the way we want to play.
“At times the team was very good, then we don't like to keep the game off as we have done in the last five minutes. If we want to become an important team, we have to win in a dirty way, ugly way and I am quite happy.
“In the last 10 minutes I think the team of effort, togetherness, mind and it is something we need.”
Chelsea Leapfrog Manchester City and Newcastle United – both won on Wednesday – saw the victory to go back to the top four of the Premier League.
Maresca knows that Champions League qualification will be enormous for the future of the club, but he also wants his team to continue their stylistic development.
“If you measure the results, it is certainly when we reach Champions League, it's an important thing,” the Italian added.
“But from my point of view I try to see how we improve every day and I see, since the first day, that the team is getting better and better.”
Chelsea defender Levi Colwill had more accents (74) and successful passes (58) than any other player on the field, producing a composed version after missing the first English team of Thomas Tuchel.
He believes that working with Maresca will help him reach the next level and says: “Everyone always says that I have a lot of potential, but I don't think potential means something. You have to show it every game.
“This season, sometimes, I have that. At other times I don't have that. I have to keep progressing and learning because I know where I can be and under this Gaffer, he will take me there, I know for sure.”
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