Chelsea latest: Alejandro Garnacho private claim made as 'unfair' Enzo Maresca decision made

It's been a topsy-turvy start to the season for Chelsea, both on and off the field. But after their dramatic weekend win over Liverpool, the Blues finally appear to have momentum on their side.

A gripping 2-1 win, clinched by Brazilian prodigy Estevao's 96th-minute strike, has reinvigorated the atmosphere at Stamford Bridge. It marked Chelsea's first truly convincing result of the season - one made all the more remarkable considering the lengthy list of injuries they carried into (and out of) the match.

There's still plenty of improvement to be made, however. The west London club sit seventh in the Premier League table, five points behind leaders Arsenal, and continue to wrestle with injury problems, new arrivals still finding their feet, and a defence that remains far from watertight.

Even so, things are looking up - especially for manager Enzo Maresca, who was feeling the pressure after a run of painful results. With morale restored and confidence flowing, Chelsea enter the international break in a much stronger position, preparing for what could be the pivotal stretch of their campaign. Here, football.london recaps the latest developments involving the Club World Cup and Conference League title holders.

'Unfair' Maresca decision

Maresca was controversially sent off in the dying moments of Saturday's clash with Liverpool after sprinting down the touchline - Jose Mourinho-style - to celebrate Estevao's late winner.

The Italian boss had earlier received a yellow card in the first half for angrily contesting referee Anthony Taylor's decision not to award Chelsea a penalty, after Alejandro Garnacho appeared to be bundled over in the area by Dominik Szoboszlai - and his emotional celebration later earned him a second booking, Chelsea's fourth red card in just five games.

While leaving the technical area is, by the letter of the law, a bookable offence, many thought Taylor's decision to send Maresca off was harsh - including Alan Shearer. "I know the laws and rules but come on," the Newcastle legend said on Match of the Day.

"You've just scored a brilliant late goal, your team has been superb for you under huge pressure and he gets a yellow card for showing that emotion… I don't get it."

Former Chelsea ace Frank Lebouef echoed that sentiment, describing the decision as "unfair" on ESPN. "Coaches are human and especially with the pressure that they are under," the Frenchman explained.

"He [Maresca] didn't do anything bad, it's not like he was teasing the opponents, he was just celebrating with his players. I remember seeing that with Jose Mourinho in the past and so many others.

"I think it was unfair and it's not because it's the Chelsea coach, it would have been [unfair for] anybody else. I can understand that you feel the pressure being released and you just want to enjoy it. He's been a player so he knows that how cool it can be. So for me, it was unfair."

Maresca - now joining Robert Sanchez, Trevoh Chalobah and Joao Pedro among Chelsea's growing list of red-carded players this season - will serve a one-match suspension, meaning he'll watch the October 18 meeting with Nottingham Forest from the stands.

Garnacho claim

Chelsea loanee Facundo Buonanotte has come to the defence of Alejandro Garnacho, calling his compatriot a "very good person" after reconnecting with him in west London this summer.

During his final months at Manchester United, Garnacho was often accused of having attitude problems. Manager Ruben Amorim even dropped him from the senior squad before confirming the winger wasn't in his long-term plans - leading to a £40million transfer to Chelsea.

Given that reputation, many around Stamford Bridge were cautious about the move. But judging by Buonanotte's latest remarks, those concerns seem misplaced, with Garnacho apparently adapting well both on and off the pitch.

"[Garnacho] is a very good person, I have a very good relationship with him," the Brighton ace, who joined Chelsea on a season-long loan on Deadline Day, told DSports Radio. "I already knew him from the national team, but now we share a lot on a daily basis because we are the same age. That makes things nicer.

"He might have had problems at the club, which can happen to any player, but that doesn't take away from the fact that he is a wonderful person. And here at Chelsea, we are very happy to have him."

Garnacho is still waiting for his debut goal in a Chelsea shirt after five outings, but he has shown encouraging glimpses - especially in the Liverpool game, where he repeatedly stretched their backline by staying wide and taking on Szoboszlai, Conor Bradley, and Ibrahima Konate.

He was also involved in the decisive goal against Benfica in the Champions League last week, meeting Pedro Neto's deep cross and knocking it back across the area before defender Richard Rios accidentally turned it in.

The young Argentine will have to elevate his performances further to fully win over the Stamford Bridge supporters, but for now, the early indications are positive.