Maresca played down talk of Chelsea putting behind them a disappointing couple of seasons when they finished sixth and 12th in the Premier League.
The victory moved Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea up to 10th, five points behind United with a game in hand.
With his brilliant performance and contributions last season, Saka, 21, clinched this year’s edition of the award after three previous nominations.
“It was frustrating when we missed the penalty. We were playing well, and we didn’t get the reward.”
With 57 points in 37 games, Manchester United appear to have missed out in the Champions League qualification struggle this season.
