Chelsea are ‘blissful’ with the job Enzo Maresca has done at Stamford Bridge despite the club’s worrying slump culminating of their ‘worst performance of the season’ last day trip.
This time two months ago Chelsea were preparing to go to Goodison Park knowing a victory over struggling Everton would have sent them above Liverpool at the highest of the Premier League.
But Maresca’s side were held to a goalless draw that day and proceeded to win just three of their next eight league games to slide to sixth, one point outside the Champions League places.
Chelsea were knocked out of the FA Cup by Brighton last weekend and lost to the identical opposition within the Premier League on Friday night with what Maresca described as his team’s ‘worst performance of the season’.
Brighton, who’ve sold various players to Chelsea, led 2-0 at half-time due to goals from Kaoru Mitoma and Yankuba Minteh before the latter added a 3rd after the break.
‘Probably since I arrived that’s the worst performance, especially within the moment we’re in,’ Maresca said.
‘We’re fourth within the league and winning tonight you may go one point from third and make the gap to the remaining larger and the performance just isn’t one you desire to offer so we’re very upset and sorry for the fans that were here.
‘That is the worst moment since I arrived but we’re still there and we’d like to complete in one of the simplest ways.’
Chelsea fans were visibly and audibly frustrated in the course of the club’s latest defeat, chanting for his or her former owner Roman Abramovich before many headed for the exit door as Brighton made it three.
The worrying slump has led to speculation over Maresca’s future at Stamford Bridge but The Athletic say the Italian’s job is secure for now.
It’s claimed the board have been ‘blissful’ with Chelsea’s progress under Maresca and consider they’re in truth ahead of schedule as he was told he was not expected to qualify for the Champions League until next season.
While Chelsea have dropped to sixth, they’ve occupied a top-four spot for a lot of the campaign and are only a degree behind Manchester City.
There may be also sympathy for Maresca given the quantity of injuries he has needed to take care of recently, with the likes of Nicolas Jackson, Romeo Lavia and Wesley Fofana all currently sidelined.
Fabrizio Romano, meanwhile, says Chelsea’s hierarchy remain ‘convinced’ that Maresca is the suitable man for the job and intend to present him every likelihood to take the Blues back to the highest.
Speaking after Chelsea’s humbling defeat to Brighton, ex-England defender Jamie Carragher said it could be a ‘disaster’ if the west London club didn’t qualify for the Champions League.
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‘This concept that this project goes to take three years, the issue is that the perfect players won’t wait that long,’ the Liverpool legend said on Sky Sports.
‘You’ll be able to see a frustration beginning to construct. Cole Palmer is sweet enough to compete for the most important honours.
‘Nottingham Forest are third and Chelsea have spent over a billion kilos. They’re mainly playing once every week. They should get Champions League. In the event that they don’t get Champions League it is going to be a disaster.
‘Chelsea has been deemed within the last couple of years a project and I believe the natives will likely be getting restless.
‘[Mauricio] Pochettino had an incredible run at the top of the season. I believe when it comes to the numbers you will have to have a look at, there just isn’t going to be much difference between the seasons.
‘I believe it’s an actual worry in the event that they aren’t getting Champions League football. They’ve spent big boy money and so they were considered one of the massive boys before they even spent that cash.’
Chelsea will likely be eager to return to winning ways next weekend once they travel to Birmingham to face Unai Emery’s Aston Villa.
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