Enzo Maresca had strong words for Chelsea players before comeback at Lincoln | OneFootball

Enzo Maresca admitted there were “absolutely” some angry words at half-time as Chelsea rallied from a goal down to beat Lincoln 2-1 and avoid a Carabao Cup giant-killing.

Lincoln, third in Sky Bet League One, deservedly took a 42nd-minute lead at the LNER Stadium against the Club World Cup champions after Enzo Fernandez’s careless pass allowed Ryan Street to score.

Fernandez was one of three players retained from Chelsea’s Premier League defeat at Manchester United on Saturday but their XI was still full of star names and worth almost £400million in transfer fees.

They struck twice in five minutes after the break through Tyrique George and the 19-year-old then teed up Facundo Buonanotte, whose first Chelsea goal ultimately sealed a spot in the fourth round.

While Maresca felt a tactical tweak helped their second half comeback, when asked if he got stuck into his players at the interval, Chelsea’s head coach replied: “Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely.”

He added: “I know some of them didn’t play these kind of games. I asked them how many times they had played against League One teams because you need to play a different kind of game.

“It’s not the same game because the desire is double from them. We struggled a bit in the first half but we were much better in the second half and we won the game.

“If the next game is against a League One or League Two team away, for sure this experience will be good for the next one. This has been a good experience.”

Alejandro Garnacho was handed his first start following his £40m move from Manchester United but the Argentinian winger was mercilessly and peculiarly booed by Lincoln’s boisterous supporters.

They roared their side on to harry and hassle Chelsea for much of the contest, with the visitors repeatedly troubled at set-pieces as Filip Jorgensen flapped at several balls delivered into the area.

Jorgensen was handed his first start since June because first-choice goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was suspended following his red card in Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford.

Maresca backed the Dane, though, adding: “I don’t know how many balls they put into the box. It was not easy for any keeper, to be honest.

“It’s not easy because they bring so many players inside the box, it’s difficult. For Filip, it was the first game of the season so not easy but we won the game. I was very worried about this game.”

Lincoln had beaten Harrogate and Burton to set up their first clash against Chelsea in 114 years. They had only beaten the west London side once in seven previous meetings – in the 1907 FA Cup.

Imps head coach Michael Skubala said: “I’m really proud of the overall performance but also frustrated because we think we could have got more out of the game as well.

“The group probably thinks the same because they feel like they deserved more but in the end, Chelsea’s quality showed in those five minutes where they scored twice.”