Chelsea will challenge Liverpool away in the EPL 8th round match at 23:30 Beijing time on Sunday night. Before the match, Chelsea manager Maresca accepted the club's official interview, and gave high praise to the team's new star Palmer.
Palmer recently won the Premier League's Player of the Month award for September for his outstanding performances, to which Maresca commented, "He has won numerous awards at the moment and this trophy certainly adds to that. The most admirable thing about Palmer is that these accolades never change the essence of who he is - he always remains humble and enjoys soccer purely like a child, which is the most valuable thing for him."
Maresca further describes Palmer's love for soccer: "You could read in his eyes that he was obsessed with soccer. He was always eager to touch the ball, eager to run on the field, and enjoyed every opportunity to play. In training, he was always the first to arrive at the pitch, the last to leave, and always the one who wanted the ball the most. This pure love of soccer is the key to his ability to keep improving."
Speaking about Palmer's tactical role in the team, Maresca said, "Palmer is a versatile player who can play multiple positions. His excellent ball control allows him to play well on the wing, in the middle and even in the No. 9 position. We are currently trying to play him more in the middle, but the exact positional arrangement will be adjusted according to the game plan. At times, we will also move him slightly to the wing, as he showed many times against Brighton. We give him full freedom to enjoy the soccer because that's what motivates him to play."
Speaking about his first three months in charge of Chelsea, Maresca emphasized the importance of building a bond with his players: "For me, it's vital to build a deep connection with my players. It requires you to communicate differently in different situations, sometimes you need to be tougher and sometimes you need to be gentler. But the most important thing is for them to feel close to the people around them, especially the manager. I like that feeling of being close to the players and it helps us move forward together."
Looking ahead to the upcoming match against Liverpool, Maresca said, "It's an important clash but we won't shy away from the challenge. We will give our best to get a good result on the road. Palmer and the other players will contribute to the team."
