Enzo Maresca highly praised Chelsea captain Reece James' performance in the 2-2 draw against Newcastle United and revealed the team's halftime discussion in the dressing room about turning the tide of the game. Chelsea recently traveled to Newcastle United for an early Premier League match. Despite a poor start, falling behind by two goals in the first half, the team showed great fighting spirit and ultimately secured a hard-fought point.  

The home team's intensity and physicality at the start of the game put Chelsea under significant pressure. However, after halftime, Reece James brought the team back into play with a precise free kick, the ball striking the bottom of the left post and finding the back of the net. Shortly after, João Pedro received a long pass from Robert Sanchez, quickly shaking off his defender and equalizing the score.  

Reece James has once again earned widespread praise for his recent string of outstanding performances, with the Chelsea manager also commending the versatile captain. Enzo Maresca said: "He showed top-level play again, playing in midfield for the first 60 minutes and then dropping back to full-back for the last 30. He was excellent, not only in terms of goals but also in his overall performance, and we are delighted with him."  

When asked if he had given any morale-boosting words at halftime to inspire the team to turn the tide immediately in the second half, Enzo Maresca said no. He emphasized that he and the players remained calm, focused on preparing for counter-attacks, and striving to secure a point.  

He said: "Even when we were down 0-2 and playing poorly, I could still see from the bench that our tactical plan was correct. So at halftime, my message was to continue to believe in what we were doing. The key was to score the first goal, and once we did, we had a chance to win the game. That's what I wanted to convey to the players, and I didn't say anything angry today."  

The Italian coach admitted that he and the Chelsea team need to learn from their difficult first-half performance against Newcastle United. However, he emphasized that this does not affect his overall positive assessment of the past week's performance. The team not only defeated Cardiff City in the League Cup quarter-finals but also secured four points in the Premier League.  

He added: "We beat Everton last week, advanced to the semi-finals this week, and achieved a significant result with a draw against Newcastle United away from home. However, it is always a learning opportunity. There are many things to reflect on in the first half, but I am satisfied with the players' performance."