Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca does not believe Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi should have been sent off for a poor tackle on Cole Palmer.
The Italian enjoyed a victorious return to the King Power Stadium where he guided the Foxes to the Championship title, as the Blues won 2-1 in the early kickoff on Saturday.
Enzo Fernandez teed up Nicolas Jackson for the opener before the Senegal international returned the favour when his second-half shot rebounded off the goalkeeper and onto the head of his teammate.
“All the games are important. It’s a really important win again,” Maresca said in his post-match press conference.
Ndidi was fortunate to remain on the pitch following a challenge from behind on Palmer, with his studs connecting with the Chelsea star’s ankle. But Maresca felt there was no ill intent from his former player.
“I don’t think the target is Cole,” he explained. “I said after the Man United game, when there is bad intention, it has to be a different punishment from the referee. I’m not saying Wilf had a bad intention because I love Wilf.
“It’s not just our players. For me, it’s general. Whenever there is bad intention, the punishment has to be different.”
Asked if the referee should have shown a red card, Maresca responded: “I don’t think so, to be honest.”
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