Enzo Maresca showed Gian Piero Gasperini how to reach after a star player misses a crucial penalty Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has jumped to the defense of Cole Palmer after the young star missed a penalty against Leicester City, revealing that the midfielder was battling illness before the game. PAY ATTENTION: Stay updated with the Latest Soccer News in Nigeria from Pulse Sports Unlike Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini, who brutally criticised Ademola Lookman for a recent penalty miss, Maresca took a far more understanding approach. Maresca praises Palmer’s commitment despite penalty miss Palmer, who had gone eight games without scoring before the Leicester game, had the chance to break his dry spell when Chelsea were awarded a penalty in the first half. However, Leicester’s Mads Hermansen denied him, marking the first time Palmer had ever missed a spot-kick in his senior career. Despite the miss, Marc Cucurella secured Chelsea’s 1-0 victory, pushing the Blues above Manchester City into fourth place as they chase Champions League qualification. After the match, Maresca revealed that Palmer had been unwell in the days leading up to the game, saying, "Two days, he had fever, how do you say in English - diarrhoea. He was very bad. But he asked to play the game and this shows the desire of our players. They gave everything and were unbelievable. Maresca shows Gasperini how it is done Maresca made it clear that missing penalties is part of football adding that Chelsea were still fully behind Palmer. Speaking after the Leicester match, the Italian coach said, “Cole will miss more penalties in life. But we are happy with him. People need to understand the effort he made just to be there.” This response was a stark contrast to Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini, who, after Ademola Lookman missed a penalty against Club Brugge in the Champions League, branded him "the worst penalty taker he had ever seen." The Atalanta boss faced heavy criticism for his comments, especially after a public statement by Lookman himself, and later backtracked on his stance.