My mistake - Chelsea boss on how he almost lost to Tottenham in London derby

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has revealed that he made a big mistake that could have cost his team the win in their 1-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in the London derby on Thursday.

Enzo Fernandez's 50th-minute header gave the blues the maximum points aganist Tottenham.

Maresca admitted that he made a defensive change too early, bringing on defender Tosin Adarabioyo and midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall for attacker Cole Palmer and goal-scorer Enzo Fernandez.

However, he soon realised that 12 minutes of stoppage time had been added, giving Tottenham ample opportunity to push for an equaliser.

"When I saw 12 minutes, I saw that was probably too early to make that kind of change. But fortunately, we won the game, and we are happy," Maresca said in a post-match interview.

Meanwhile, Maresca praised his team's resilience in soaking up the pressure during the extended stoppage time.

"If you want to become a team, I think you need also to learn and to play in the way we played in the last 10 minutes: win a game in a dirty way," he said.

Maresca also credited the return of Senegal striker Nicolas Jackson from injury, saying, "For sure, with Nico we are a different team."

The win gives Chelsea a much-needed boost in their pursuit of a top-four finish and a spot in next season's Champions League.