Maresca defends his team after defeat to Man City

Enzo Maresca says Chelsea played well despite conceding four goals to mistakes in the defeat to Manchester City.

An Erling Haaland hat-trick and Oscar Bobbs's strike came through misplaced passes, with the first two goals coming within the first five minutes.

However, the Blues clawed two second half goals back through substitutes Raheem Sterling and Noni Madueke and Maresca insists his team are showing pre-season progress while on tour of the United States.

"A very strange game, to be honest, because we planned the game and I think the plan was good in terms of the way we wanted to attack and defend," Maresca said at the Ohio Stadium.

"In the first-half, apart from the first five minutes when we conceded two goals, the team was good. But it is a strange game because you plan the game in one way, then you concede two goals and it changes the dynamic.

"We need to learn that when you concede one, you cannot concede one and then after two minutes another one. This is something that I just said to the players; we need to learn. When we concede one, we need to become stronger so we don't concede another one.

"We do not like to lose games but my main focus for me is to see things, different things, and to try to be ready for the official games at the beginning of the season."