It was Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca who grabbed a number of the headlines following their dramatic win over Fulham.

The Blues boss was under mounting pressure to deliver the Blues’ first win away from home of 2025, something they finally achieved with the victory across West London against Fulham.

It was changed the boss made that were the catalyst for their sensational comeback. Maresca was not afraid to change some big names early on, with Reece James coming off at half-time after a poor performance.

He brought on the likes of Malo Gusto, Jadon Sancho and Tyrique George, with the latter going on to score his first Premier League goal for the club.

The boss did confirm that Gusto had suffered a bad injury in his time on the pitch, although this didn’t impact their celebrations at the full-time whistle.

Why Enzo Maresca didn’t celebrate with Chelsea fans after win vs Fulham

The Chelsea players soaked up the applause of the travelling away fans at Craven Cottage, however Maresca wasn’t present for the party-like scenes.

The boss said after the game that he believed it was a moment for his players to celebrate, with him more focused on the task in hand in the final five Premier League games of the season.

He told Football London: “The goal from Pedro doesn’t change the season. I said already, in last three years have never been in the Champions League spot. The goal doesn’t change it. It’s already a good season. The goal gives us a chance to be there.

“I was very happy because it is a nice feeling to win the game at the end. The players deserve to celebrate with the fans, that is the reason why I left the pitch early. It was a nice moment for the players and the fans.“

Maresca’s wavering relationship with supporters

Before Pedro Neto’s last-minute winner, there was real danger of things boiling over between the away fans and the man tasked with bringing Champions League football back to Stamford Bridge.

Fans in attendance spent minutes chanting for Blues legend Frank Lampard in protest, with the former manager enjoying a sensational campaign at the helm.

There was certainly some annoyance from the Italian at the home supporters as Maresca criticised the atmosphere during the draw with Ipswich Town, a potentially catestrophic result.

The response he gets pales in comparison to how it was just months ago, and next season will be interesting to see if he can win some sections of the fanbase back around, with him looking set to remain in his role.