The Albany Gazette - Maresca blasts 'very poor' Chelsea after damaging Leeds defeat

Maresca's side paid the price for a woeful first-half performance at Elland Road featuring Leeds goals from Jaka Bijol and Ao Tanaka.

Pedro Neto reduced the deficit after the interval but Chelsea conceded a farcical third goal to Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the closing stages.

Losing to a fourth-bottom Leeds side beaten in their previous four games was a major setback to Chelsea's hopes of competing with leaders Arsenal for the title.

The Blues' first defeat in eight games in all competitions left them nine points behind Arsenal in fourth place.

"There was nobody at their best level," Maresca said. "They were better than us in all aspects, they deserved to win.

"A very poor night. We performed so well against Arsenal and Barcelona, but it doesn't mean we are going to always perform the same way because of the situation you have to manage, the players you have to rotate.

"The only thing we can do is to try and understand what we did and then reset."

Chelsea were without influential midfielder Moises Caicedo after the Ecuador star was sent off in Sunday's stormy 1-1 draw against Arsenal.

The Blues had recovered from Caicedo's dismissal to take the lead through Trevoh Chalobah, but couldn't hold on as Mikel Merino snatched Arsenal's equaliser.

Maresca rested Neto, Reece James, and Wesley Fofana in a bid to freshen up his side.

But Chelsea still looked drained from facing Arsenal with 10 men for so long and Leeds took full advantage of their mental and physical fatigue.

"I hope we just had a bad night because it's a game where you struggle to take anything from. They were much better in the duels," Maresca said.

"It's the Premier League, you need to perform every game, no matter if you are at home or away.

"We missed Moises tonight and will miss him in the next games. He is an important player for any team in the world."

Leeds struck after just six minutes when Anton Stach's corner picked out Bijol and he rose above Liam Delap to power his header past Robert Sanchez.

- Rude awakening -

Chelsea had won just 29 percent of their league matches when Caicedo was out of the starting line-up and they struggled again without their driving force.

Pascal Struijk glanced a header narrowly wide from another corner to underline Chelsea's lethargy at the back.

Leeds' sublime second goal in the 43rd minute was a rude awakening for Chelsea's title prospects.

Japan midfielder Tanaka took possession just outside the Chelsea area and unleashed a ferocious shot that arrowed past Sanchez.

Chelsea have never come back to win a Premier League away game when trailing by two or more goals at half-time.

Neto came off the bench to give them hope of ending that dismal streak in the 50th minute.

Jamie Gittens clipped a cross into the six-yard box and Neto took a touch before drilling home for his fifth league goal this season.

Maresca sent on Cole Palmer for the England forward's first appearance in two months after an injury-plagued spell that included fracturing his toe after stubbing it on a door.

Palmer's introduction alongside Argentine winger Alejandro Garnacho almost conjured an immediate equaliser.

Garnacho's run and cross teed up Palmer for a low strike that fizzed just wide from 10 yards.

But Chelsea shot themselves in the foot to gift Leeds the decisive third goal in the 72nd minute.

It was a shambolic moment as Malo Gusto's pass inside his own area put Tosin Adarabioyo under pressure.

Adarabioyo's panicked pass towards Sanchez was intercepted by Noah Okafor and when the Chelsea keeper blocked the shot, Calvert-Lewin was on hand to tap into the empty net as Maresca looked on in disbelief.

(A.Thompson--TAG)