The Blues ran out 4-2 winners in our first league phase fixture in Europe this season. We mostly kept the Belgian side at arm’s length but did concede twice in the second half. One of those goals particularly frustrated Maresca, as he explained in his assessment of his team’s fifth straight win.

‘It was a good performance and overall I’m happy with the performance and the result,’ started Maresca.

‘It was a tough game and we approached it very well. Every game is complicated, it’s never easy. We changed players but you could still see the identity and the purpose of the team.

‘For sure we can do many things better. The most important thing we can learn tonight is that even if we are 4-1 up, you have to switch on until the final whistle. You cannot switch off. We conceded the second goal because we saw the game was finished. If we want to be one step forward, even if it’s 4-1, we have to continue and not concede another goal.’

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scored our fourth goal which Maresca celebrated joyously on the touchline

‘I know Kiernan very well from last year. I completely understand how difficult it is for Kiernan at this moment. I know when you are the main player and then move to a big club it's not easy because you're not the main player, and you’re on the bench or not in the squad.

‘Sometimes you struggle a bit at the beginning, but he has to understand the reason he is here is because we want him, so I was very happy for him. The celebration was because I know he needed that.’