Enzo Maresca says what everyone is thinking about Cole Palmer against PSG | OneFootball

Cole Palmer was back to his brilliant best as Chelsea beat PSG 3-0 in the Club World Cup final last night.

Deployed on the right, the attacking midfielder was at his mercurial best. Enzo Maresca’s clever tactical tweak had freed Palmer in tons of space time after time as Chelsea moved in transition, and twice he was given enough space on the edge of the box to roll the ball into the net. Not long after that, he used the same pocket to play a pass to Joao Pedro to score, effectively ending the game before half time.

Enzo Maresca hails Palmer for showing up in “big moments”

Cole Palmer lifts the Club World Cup trophy. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)

While it was Maresca’s tactics that helped, it was Palmer’s performance which got the job done, and in the press conference after the game the manager hailed his star player for stepping up when needed once again:

“These are the games where we expect Cole to appear – in big games and big moments. Once again, he showed how good he is,” Maresca said.

Maresca on Sanchez’s long ball decisions

Maresca also discussed Robert Sanchez and his (very effective) long kicking. Previously he has said he would sub his goalkeeper if they played long. He now changed his tune and said he told his keepers to adapt to the opposition.

PSG pressured so high that it made sense to go long, and it proved really effective. The Spaniard picked out Malo Gusto with a long ball to set up the first goal.

“About Robert, I usually say the opponent gives us the solution,” Maresca said in his presser.

“If the opponent does what PSG does then we have to use long balls and clearances by the goalkeepers. It depends on what the opponents do.”