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Enzo Maresca sent off after celebration for Chelsea’s 95th minute winner against Liverpool

Enzo Maresca gets sent off after his wild celebration for Chelsea’s 95th minute winner against Liverpool on Saturday evening.

The Blues manager received marching order after receiving a second yellow card for running down the touchline to celebrate Estevao Willian’s late goal.

The Brazilian substitute scored from Marc Cucurella’s cross, sparking wild celebrations at Stamford Bridge, and footage of this has since gone viral.

Maresca’s suspension means assistant boss Willy Caballero will manage Chelsea’s next match against Nottingham Forest.

Caballero speaking to BBC MOTD…

On Enzo Maresca’s red card: “Unfortunate what happened but we understand the emotion of the game and the situation in the easy seconds.”

On the game being end to end: “For some minutes there were no touches in the midfield, the game was so open. We had a few clear chances, a few cutbacks, shots saved by the keeper, header from Enzo [Fernandez]. They had some shots as well. But Liverpool have won a few games in extra time this season, this time is for us. Football gives you something sometimes it takes away. We are so happy to find that goal against a really good team and the connection between supporters and players was so good. The atmosphere was so good in the last 20 minutes.”

On Estevao goal: “Not just for him, for the whole squad. We have a young squad that have to learn through games. This will be an unforgettable moment for Estevao and for us. Fantastic to have all the players that we’ve had the opportunity to use and play, they showed today that all of them want to play for this club. The effort today to finish with players in different positions and giving everything on the pitch. It was amazing.”

On four red cards in five games: “We need to stop that. We need to keep working to improve that. It looks easy to say but dealing with emotions in this game for Enzo [Maresca] was difficult. Fortunately it was a player, and only the last second because Enzo is so important on the side for the players. We need to work on that, speak with the squad. We don’t want to give away more points and the chance to be at the top of the table.”

Chelsea assistant manager Willy Caballero on manager Enzo Maresca after his sending off: “He’s OK. He’s so happy now. Of course he cannot be here now but we are so happy that we achieved the three points in the last seconds. We are so happy and so proud. The players did a fantastic job. Now is a good break for many of them and hopefully we can recover a few more players and start the new cycle of games with energy.”

On scoring in the last minute: “It is extra special because you win energy, trust, confidence in the process. I think the atmosphere in the stadium gives us more. It’s unforgettable. So now we have to take this to keep growing. It’s a shame we have the break now but we have a really good connection between the players and the supporters. We have a very young squad.”

On the team’s unity: “We suffer another red card today (laughs) but we finish strong. We know that we are a good team that plays football and we create chances in the first half. We deserve the second goal in the second half. In the way we fought today, with four full-backs in the back four is incredible. All of us are so proud of our players. We don’t look for excuses, we find solutions.”

On injuries to Badiashile and Acheampong: “They are OK. They were a little bit concerned about their situations but we talked with them and they are OK. They need this break to recover well.”

On Maresca’s celebration: “It’s something special for any manager, no manager can hold inside what they feel. Unfortunately for him he was already on a yellow. We are all human beings. We have been players, we love to see that. For sure all of us we can learn from that as well.”

Liverpool boss Arne Slot: “I think two very good teams were on the pitch today. First half unfortunately for us the only chance they had in the first half goes into the top corner. We created three open chances – Kerkez, Dom and Alex with the header – but I felt the game was equal. Second half we started off really well. It wasn’t a surprise we equalised. Last 15 minutes it was end to end. We had chances. they had chances to win. In the end we concede a last minute goal.”

On his side’s recent results: “First of all the opposition we face. Last season we lost against Chelsea as well. Stamford Bridge is always difficult. We were very close to a result. Small margins. As I said at Galatasaray, we had a one-vs-one then they get a penalty. We concede in extra, extra time against Palace. And then today they score a goal that could go at either end.

“On changes in defence: “Most of the times I’ve changed the full-backs it’s been because they were on yellows. You wonder if it is smart to keep them on the pitch. We needed Florian to come into the game. Milos (Kerkez) was more and more tired. He played 90 mins in two games and now in the third game which he is not used to. You could feel and see this, that it got more and more difficult for him to keep going. Their wingers are a threat.”

On Konate’s removal: “He felt his quad a bit. Then alarm bells go off with me. If the game had gone on like this I would have made the change a bit later but did not want to take the risk. It wasn’t a coincidence when Ryan (Gravenberch) started to play there we started getting more and more in the game.”

On failing to find the winner: “We were the dominant team but in the last 10-15 mins it was end to end, both teams could have scored. Both teams arrived a lot of times at the 18-yard line. These are the margins that don’t fall for us at the moment. we have to work harder to not rely on these margins. as I said, Chelsea, Palace away, these are also teams that ask you a lot of questions.”

 Slot speaking to BBC MOTD: “If you play at Stamford Bridge and create as many chances as we did today that is something positive we take. We conceded two goals in both games [against Palace last week and Chelsea today], the only chance they had in the first half – maybe you should compliment him – unfortunately we couldn’t score.”

On Ibrahima Konate: “Not 100% sure if he’s injured, he felt his quad and if a player feels his quad when he’s running then alarm bells go on for me. If the game had gone on like this I would’ve taken him off later anyway because we needed Ryan [Gravenberch] in that position. The main reason was he felt his quad but we wanted Ryan in that position at 1-0. That worked well with us being dominant in that part of the game.

“After we scored 1-1 it went our way and I think I was waiting for us to score the second. Decision making could’ve been better, last 10-15 minutes was end-to-end. We arrived in their 18-yard box with [Andy] Robertson, we couldn’t control the ball but again it’s fine margins like it’s been for as long as I’ve been here. Last week, same as this week two difficult away games, the fine margins haven’t been in our favour.

“In both games we’ve created more chances than the team we have faced – Palace and Chelsea – but the truth is that we have only scored once in both games and our opponent has scored twice.”

Liverpool winger Cody Gakpo: “It’s difficult [to take]. I think obviously we play against a really good team. First half they scored an amazing goal but I think it was level. Second half we fight really hard for the equaliser and we played a little better than them but they were dangerous on counter. To concede last minute is hard to take.”

On failing to find a winner: “I think somehow we couldn’t keep the momentum. We have to analyse how and why. We had momentum and if we kept pushing at that time we could score for 2-1 but somehow we lost it and they gained strength again. They pushed us back on the counter and they scored the winning goal in the last minute.”

On the side’s recent form: “I don’t want to say low on confidence. I understand what you mean. In this time the things don’t fall our way. Maybe five games ago they did fall our way. This is part of football. we have to take it on our chests and keep on fighting. we have to keep pushing.”

On the scrutiny after three consecutive defeats: “When you play at a club this big it’s normal when you lose three games in a row that it’s not good enough. We know that as players. We are very much aware of the situation. We know what to do, which is going back to the winning ways.”

Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella speaking to Sky Sports: “I think we deserve it. We started the game very well and then the second half we started not in the right way again – we need to improve these things. But in general I think we deserve this win. We came through some tough weeks, this moment was amazing and we go into the break with three points, so we are very happy.

“We deserved this moment. It was not an easy week for us. Playing Champions League we play every few days. It is good because if you lose then you have another game in a few hours. In the middle of the week we suffered in the final minutes but we created this momentum with the fans. Then today we started the game in the right way, we scored early as well and we started to get confidence.”

On how difficult it is to get consistency with so many injuries: “It’s not easy. We had to change the players for different reasons but today we showed that it does not matter. It’s not an excuse, we have the quality and are a good team.”

On the winning goal: “We know that Salah is always ready for the counter attack so we practiced that and the manager said that the space might be there [on the right side of Liverpool].We saw that it was the last minute but we kept attacking. I tried to give my last effort and Enzo gave me the ball and I crossed for Estevao.”

Cucurella speaking to Sky Sports about team-mate Estevao: “He came into the game maybe his first time against Liverpool in the Premier League and the pace of the game was very high. He came with the personality. Hato as well, he came in the middle of the game.

“It is difficult to come from the bench into these games with a lot of intensity and transition. These two players deserve this moment. It is never easy to adapt to the Premier League, today I think they show their quality.”

Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo speaking to Sky Sports: “Fantastic goal at the end, everyone was happy. We’re so happy.

“Liverpool is a fantastic team so we did our best even when they pushed us. We were so good at the end.

“These are the moments we need to be even closer. The team was good. We’re working hard every day and now we show up on the pitch.”

On his goal: “I don’t know – everything is for God. I had the opportunity and I did it. When I shot I knew the ball was going to go in, a fantastic goal.

“It was a great goal but I’m enjoying my time here and doing well and that’s the most important thing.”

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