Blue is the duller for Maresca

ENZO MARESCA clung to Chelsea's clean sheet like a comfort rug after the big-spending Blues began their season with a whimper.

- MIKE WALTERS

After pre-match fireworks to celebrate their Club World Cup triumph, Maresca's side served up the equivalent of soggy blue touchpaper.

And as Chelsea immediately lost ground on the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City on the first day of term, their Italian boss refused to be too downhearted.

He said: "I don't think about (where we will finish) in May or June I only think about the next game. For now, it's just about Friday (at West Ham), no more than that."

Maresca tried not to use Chelsea's truncated preseason as an excuse for their lack of sharpness, adding: "Palace played about eight games, we played just two, so we tried our best. We didn't lose a clean sheet.