Enzo Maresca says Nicolas Jackson cost Chelsea against Newcastle as boss reveals he will speak to striker who ‘has to learn’ after red card
Enzo Maresca will speak to Nicolas Jackson about learning from the red card that cost Chelsea in their defeat at Newcastle, denting their hopes of Champions League qualification.
The striker was sent off in the first half after landing his elbow in the face of defender Sven Botman. VAR recommended a review after referee John Brooks gave an on-field yellow.
Chelsea, trailing 1-0 at the time, fought valiantly with 10 men but Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes made sure of the result in the 90th minute.
Maresca said: ‘For sure it (the red card) affected the game, 100 per cent. And 100 per cent he has to learn, especially at this stage of this season where we have two more games.
‘What we have to avoid is these kind of things, because you need all of your squad available for the next game. It happened, he will be out for the season, and he needs to learn for the future. In the next day we’ll speak with Nico.’
Maresca appeared to have no complaint with the decision, but did believe the atmosphere inside St James’ Park swayed some decisions.
Nicolas Jackson was sent off in the first half of Chelsea’s defeat to Newcastle on Sunday
Enzo Maresca will speak to Nicolas Jackson about learning from the red card he received
‘If the referee decides a red card, it’s a red card,’ he said. ‘But in some different decisions, in this stadium, sometimes it’s the noise that decides if it’s a foul or not.’
He was, though, pleased with his team’s response, even if the defeat means they will probably have to beat both Manchester United and Nottingham Forest in their remaining games to safeguard their top-five position.
‘Even with that (red card), I think in the second half, the spirit, the energy, the effort from the players has been fantastic,’ he said. ‘We created three clear chances to score.
‘Unfortunately, we didn’t score and then in the last minute we conceded the second one. But I think in the second half the team was very good. Now, we have to win our last two matches. We know what we have to do.’
Chelsea’s players had protested against Jackson’s sending-off, but Newcastle boss Eddie Howe was adamant the right call was made.
‘Initially, my gut reaction was, “That’s a sending-off”, because I could see that Jackson wasn’t looking at the ball,’ said Howe. ‘He was looking at the man and I think that always puts you in a vulnerable position, especially if you make contact with your elbow like he did.
‘I’ve just seen it when I was being interviewed on the TV there and for me, my opinion hasn’t changed, I do think it’s a red card.’
Howe, meanwhile, praised his goalkeeper Nick Pope for two saves that protected their lead and helped put them three points from next season’s Champions League.
The striker was sent off in the first half after landing his elbow in the face of Sven Botman
He added: ’Credit to Chelsea for how they played, but also credit to us for in those difficult moments – and you can feel it around the stadium – we stayed strong, and that’s where I have to mention Nick because those two saves, I thought, were world-class.
‘It’s a massive win for us. We knew that before the game, we knew the importance. It’s so tight, and that has put us in a stronger position, but it’s still very tight and we’ve got two games where we have to keep our focus and try to get as many points as we can.’
