Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca admitted that his team wasn’t 100% in their performance against Sunderland, adding that you lose when you don’t give your all.

Enzo Maresca, Chelsea’s head coach, spoke to the media after his side’s 2-1 defeat to Sunderland at Stamford Bridge, acknowledging that his team wasn’t good enough on the day. 

“We started well with the ball, but we were losing the second balls, and against these sort of teams, you have to know how to deal with that, and overall, we were not good enough,” Maresca said.

Maresca emphasized that dropping points is inevitable if a team doesn’t perform at 100%. “It was not one of our best performances. You can drop points against any team if you do not perform at 100%,” he added.

Regarding Sunderland’s equalizer, Maresca noted that it was the visitors’ first shot on goal, highlighting the difficulty of defending against teams that pack the box. “It was the first time they shot on goal. When they bring seven to eight players inside the box, it is very difficult, but it is something we need to do better,” he said.

Maresca also reflected on conceding a late winner, stressing the importance of managing the game better. “We said many times that if you can’t win, you shouldn’t lose. So we should have managed that better, but it is something to learn,” he added.

Chelsea’s defeat to Sunderland means they have dropped six points from winning positions in Premier League home games this season, the most of any side.

Maresca concluded that the loss was a learning experience for his team, and they need to improve their performance to succeed in the Premier League.