Maresca: Chelsea 'have to do better' as winless streak stretches on with Atalanta loss

Enzo Maresca insists Chelsea "have to do better" after their winless streak stretched to four games in all competitions with a 2-1 loss to Atalanta in the Champions League.

Chelsea let their lead slip after Joao Pedro had put them in front in the first half, with Charles De Ketelaere getting an assist and a goal to turn the game around for Atalanta in the second.

It means the Blues have now gone five away games without a win in the Champions League (D1 L4) for the first time since February 2012 (five), with Maresca the third Chelsea boss to fail to win any of his first three away matches in the competition.

And prior to this match, Chelsea were unbeaten in 41 games in UEFA's premier competition when leading at half-time (W37 D4); it ended a run that dated back to September 2013.

Before their current winless run, Chelsea were unbeaten in six, and Maresca admitted he is a little bit worried about their current form.

"First half, we were controlling the game," Maresca told UEFA.

"After the goal we conceded first one, we lost a bit of the control of the game. We are playing every two days, and we probably look like we struggle a bit.

"We just want to win as soon as possible. We tried to be aggressive. When we conceded 1-1, probably the dynamic of the game changed a bit.

"I am always worried. Two points in four games is not what we expect, and we have to do better."

Joao Pedro became the seventh Brazilian to score in the Champions League for Chelsea, with Arsenal the only English club to have more such goalscorers (nine).

However, he urged Chelsea to learn from their performance after they missed the chance to move into the top eight.

"We are disappointed because we came here to win," he told TNT Sports. "We started well, scored first, and we gave chances to the other team. They are a difficult team.

"We need to go back to England to learn and be ready for the next game. We're disappointed, but we have to be focused on the next game."

Atalanta, meanwhile, secured just their second win ever against English opposition in their eight Champions League meetings with English teams, also triumphing over Liverpool in November 2020 (D3 L3).

In his pre-match press conference, head coach Raffaele Palladino demanded “perfection” from his side, and he was thrilled to come away with a win at New Balance Arena.

"I am very happy, because it was a magical evening in front of our fans," he told Sky Sport Italia.

"We played against a very strong opponent. I was impressed by their technical quality and pace. This gives extra value to our victory and confirms what we are worth too.

"As I told them in the centre circle, we cannot be this inconsistent. I want to believe Verona was just a slip-up, as we need this Atalanta spirit and DNA in every single game. They were perfect tonight. We only had a day to prepare for the match, and I thank them.

"This type of performance and result can really boost your self-belief, but now we have to focus on the next Serie A match."