- Chelsea beat Wolves 6-2 in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon
- Mykhailo Mudryk was substituted at half-time when the score was 2-2.
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Enzo Maresca praised Cole Palmer as ‘special’ but admitted he was ‘not happy’ with Mykhailo Mudryk after Wolves’ thrashing at the hands of Chelsea, with the 23-year-old Ukrainian the only loser among the victorious visitors.
Mudryk was taken off at half-time for not living up to his manager’s standards. It was 2-2 when he was substituted and with the help of his replacement Pedro Neto they won 6-2.
Chelsea beat Arsenal to Mudryk in January 2023 in a deal worth £89million. Maresca is the latest manager tasked with unlocking Mudryk’s potential after predecessors Graham Potter and Mauricio Pochettino struggled to do so.
When asked why he had substituted him at half-time, Maresca replied: ‘Because I wasn’t happy with it.’
Asked to elaborate, he continued: ‘In some moments we can handle certain situations better. He worked very hard without the ball and that was very good. But in terms of the ball I expect a bit more quality from Misha.
Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk pictured (left) in the first half of Sunday’s match against Wolves
Enzo Maresca was ‘not happy’ with Mudryk and the Chelsea manager took him off at half-time
‘I think he had good moments the other day and today too. That was because we had to make changes and give Pedro (Neto) some playing time.’
Maresca was delighted with Palmer after the 22-year-old Englishman played a part in all six goals. Palmer scored a spectacular lob, fully assisted Noni Madueke’s hat-trick, provided the corner for Nicolas Jackson’s opening goal and was involved in the build-up for Joao Felix to complete the scoring.
“I’ve known Cole for four or five years,” Maresca said. “I had him for a whole season at (Manchester City) City with the second team and then with the first team. He’s a special player, a special man and a special person. I’m not surprised at all with the goals he scored last year, the goal he scored today, the assists. Cole is a top player.”
On how big a boost this win could be for Chelsea’s confidence, Maresca said: ‘Nobody from the club asked me to fight for the Premier League or a Champions League place. They just asked me to improve the players, improve the team. I want my team to play the way we want to play.
Mudryk was substituted on Sunday after touching the ball 13 times in the first 45 minutes
Chelsea playmaker Cole Palmer scored one goal and also provided a hat-trick of assists
‘Competing every game – that’s the most important thing. On the ball, having a clear idea of what we want. Off the ball, being a very aggressive team. At times today, we started to see our team in terms of our pressure. I feel very happy. I feel very happy. I think the squad is very good. There are many players who are versatile and can play in different positions. And then we’ll see where we end up, but the most important thing is to get better, game after game.’
Meanwhile, Romeo Lavia was missing from Chelsea’s squad due to a hamstring injury. While it worried fans given his injury-plagued last campaign, Maresca insisted it was nothing serious and that he could be back within ‘a week’.