Phil Haigh
Published December 20, 2025 3:47pm
Updated December 20, 2025 3:48pm
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Enzo Maresca faces his second ban of the season (Picture: Getty Images)
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is set for a ban after his latest yellow card during the draw at Newcastle on Saturday.
The Blues bounced from two goals behind to draw 2-2 at St James’ Park in an entertaining lunchtime contest.
The Magpies were dominant in the first half, with two Nick Woltemade goals giving them a deserved lead.
The second period was very different, though, with Chelsea much improved and scoring twice through Reece James and Joao Pedro.
Both sides had chances to win in a pulsating second stanza but the spoils were ultimately shared.
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It was a feisty contest with six Chelsea players shown yellow cards and three bookings on the Newcastle side.
Blues boss Maresca was also shown a yellow card and that will now see the Italian banned from the touchline when his side is next in action on Saturday, at home against Aston Villa.
Maresca’s side bounced back from a nightmare first half (Picture: Getty Images)
The Daily Mail report that the suspension comes after a third yellow card, following bookings against Manchester United and Burnley.
Maresca was booked twice and sent off against Liverpool earlier in the season, receiving a one-game ban as a result, but those yellow cards are treated separately.
Explaining why he was booked against the Magpies on Saturday, Maresca told a post-match press conference: ‘I was complaining because the same foul was a yellow card for us and they did exactly the same foul three or four times but it was no yellow card, so I asked the question and complained to the referee.’
Reece James scored a stunning free-kick for Chelsea’s first (Picture: Getty Images)
Maresca picked out James for praise after an impressive performance both going forward and defensively.
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‘He was, once again, top performance,’ Maresca said of the England international.
‘He played for an hour as a midfielder and for the last half an hour, he was as a full-back. We are happy for him.’
On the game, he added: ‘After the first-half, they deserved to win the game, for sure, but after the second-half, we deserved to win the game. After the second goal was scored, we had three or four chances to win it.
‘The key for me was the goal we conceded. After three minutes, you concede a goal and the game goes in the direction they want. We scored twice in the second-half and could have scored more goals. We adjusted something at half-time. It’s not easy to come back in this stadium.’
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