According to reports, Chelsea will face Newcastle on Sunday in the 36th round of the Premier League at St. James’ Park, determined to secure an away victory.

Maresca spoke to reporters in a pre-match press conference.

On the importance of the Newcastle match: It’s very important, a big game. The same goes for Manchester United and Nottingham Forest. We have three matches left, all big games. Sunday is an opportunity to start well. We’re in good form, with positive momentum, and hope to perform well and win.

On fielding a similar lineup to the Liverpool match: From our side? Yes, we’ll see. The result against Djurgården allowed us to rotate and rest some players. But we still have Saturday to prepare.

On the short gap before the next match: It’s not ideal. It’s a 12 PM kickoff, but we have to play. We must adapt quickly, prepare as best as possible, and continue our good form.

Focus on the Premier League, not Europe: From today, we prepare for Newcastle. We have two days. The players must focus on Newcastle as if it’s the last game of the season. Give everything, then see what happens.

On Sandro Tonali’s performance: Sandro has probably been one of Newcastle’s best this season. He’s been excellent. I’ve known him since Brescia, then Milan, now England. He’s a great player, but they have many good players. We’ll prepare to win and hope for a good result.

On facing aggressive teams: Yes, they’re very aggressive, especially in our half. They press man-to-man. When they’re in their half, they defend more. But they’re a physical, very aggressive team.

On stopping Alexander Isak: Isak is a top player, but stopping him isn’t enough. They have more players, so we must work as a team to stop them collectively.

On Chelsea’s league position: No, our frustration is that we created many chances but didn’t win. But now isn’t the time to think about that. We must try to win all three remaining matches and see what happens. If you look at the stats, like missed chances, we could have more points. But we are where we are and must win our remaining games.

On whether two wins in three matches are enough: We’ll try to win all three. How many points are needed for the top five? I don’t know—it depends on others. But we must focus on ourselves and try to win all three. Whether two or one win will be enough, I don’t know, but our focus is on three wins.