Enzo Maresca said after the game that the players showed tenacious fighting spirit and perseverance in the difficult situation where Newcastle United had to fight with ten men for more than an hour, and he was very proud of their performance.  

The manager oversaw a brilliant second-half performance at St James' Park, where despite being short-handed, the team created three close-range chances, with Marc Cucurella, Enzo Fernandez and Reece James all coming close to scoring.  

Although Chelsea created some opportunities, they ultimately failed to equalize the score. This result made head coach Enzo Maresca deeply regretful and reflected that the team must strive to win both of the next two league games.  

Enzo Maresca said: "It was already difficult to play against this team in this environment, and if they had added another player, the situation would have become more difficult. The red card undoubtedly affected the game, but we created three very dangerous chances in the second half, which was not easy considering we were playing with ten men."  

"I was really proud of the energy, spirit and togetherness the team showed in the second half. The feeling now is that we need to win these two games to secure our place in the Champions League."  

Nicolajson was shown a red card for a heavy foul after a VAR review. The suspension will keep him out of the next two games against Manchester United and Nottingham Forest.  

Enzo Maresca said: "I haven't spoken to Nicola Jaxon yet, now is not the right time, we will talk about it tomorrow. Obviously, he must learn from this, especially at this crucial stage of the season."  

"We have two important games ahead of us and situations like this have to be avoided because we need the commitment of every player. It has happened, he will be out and hopefully he can learn from it and be ready for the future."  

"He is our number nine and the other is Marc Geu, who has been out for three months with an injury but is coming back soon. We have to find an alternative for the two remaining crucial games."