Enzo Maresca hails Chelsea ‘spirit’ after melee breaks out at end of Forest draw

Enzo Maresca was happy with the “fighting spirit” of his Chelsea team after a melee broke out in the closing stages of Sunday’s 1-1 Premier League draw against 10-man Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge.

Virtuality all 22 players plus substitutes were involved in the disorder which was sparked when Forest’s Neco Williams pushed Marc Cucurella off the pitch, causing him to knock Maresca to the ground.

Cucurella was shown a yellow card for his role in the incident, his fifth of the season thereby ruling him out of Chelsea’s game against Liverpool after the international break, whilst Wesley Fofana was also booked and will miss the match at Anfield.

For the second time this season the team were shown six yellow cards meaning they will likely face a fine.

“I think the team is fighting all together,” said Maresca. “I don’t think some of them lost their heads, I think they were all of them in the game, so I was happy with that.

Asked whether he feared his team had a discipline problem, he replied: “No. It’s something probably we need to improve, but overall I like the team the way they are fighting, the way they are becoming a team in these kind of things. I don’t see any problem about that.

“Now we have the international break, we have time to see how we can organise.”

During the fracas, which broke out in the 88th minute in front of the Chelsea dugout, Nicolas Jackson appeared to raise his hand to the face of a Forest player, an incident that was not spotted by the on-field referee. VAR confirmed they saw Jackson’s hand to the face but did not consider it obvious enough violent conduct to change the referee’s decision.

Jackson was not on the pitch, having been substituted in the 81st minute.

“In that moment not only Nicholas was inside the pitch,” said Maresca in the player’s defence. “If you look there were more players from the bench inside the pitch.

“If you ask if I prefer when something like that happens, players from outside are involved or not, I like the spirit of the team. I don’t see any problem.

“There are things we can control and do better and probably this is one of the things. But if you ask me about the team spirit, the way they are fighting together, the way they are doing things together, I’m very happy.”

A steely, disciplined display from Forest saw them take the lead against the run of play early in the second half, defender Nikola Milenkovic heading a free-kick across goal for Chris Wood to toe it beyond Robert Sanchez.

Noni Madueke had not scored in the league since hitting a hat-trick against Wolves in August but he drew Chelsea level soon after with unerring accuracy, collecting Cole Palmer’s pass and cutting inside to send a shot inside the far post behind the unsighted Matz Sels.

James Ward-Prowse was sent off for a second yellow after a deliberate handball to deny Jackson, before both goalkeepers produced brilliant saves during 13 frantic minutes off added time.

Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo reflected on a game in which it was difficult to keep emotions in check.

“It was a crazy game, wasn’t it?” he said. “Goalkeepers making huge saves, we had one man less, mass confusion, red cards, yellow cards, everything was there.

“What I’m trying to say at the same time is, please referees understand we that are there on the touchline and on the pitch, it is very emotional.”