Chelsea moved up to the top four in the Premier League with Enzo Fernandez scoring a header to secure a 1-0 win over Tottenham at Stamford Bridge in a derby match.
Maresca's team had been struggling before the international break and faced criticism for their unexciting style of play, but they outperformed a disappointing Spurs team who couldn't capitalize on Chelsea's recent struggles.
VAR played a key role, disallowing goals from Caicedo and Sarr in the second half, but Chelsea was deserving of the win as they aimed to revive their Champions League aspirations.
Chelsea started the game with much more intensity compared to their recent performances. They had early chances with Jackson being denied by Vicario and Gusto hitting the side-netting shortly after.
Spurs struggled defensively, with Udogie nearly scoring an own goal under pressure from Fernandez, showing signs of vulnerability in the early stages of the match.
Caicedo's injury scare raised concerns for Maresca, but the player recovered and put in a strong performance in the first half to neutralize Spurs' attacking threats.
Spurs showed some attacking intent when Son forced a save from Sanchez, but they failed to capitalize on their chances, with Maddison being dispossessed easily in a promising position.
Sancho was active but frustrated home fans with his decision-making, finally testing Vicario with a deflected shot late in the first half.
Chelsea took the lead early in the second half through Fernandez's header, with Caicedo also having a goal disallowed for offside after a VAR review.
Spurs thought they had equalized through Sarr, but the goal was overturned after a review showed a foul in the buildup, resulting in a yellow card for the Spurs player.
Chelsea saw out the game with Sanchez making another important save from Son, securing the three points despite late pressure from the visitors.