Chelsea’s ‘journey’ unaffected by December blip, says Maresca| All Football

Enzo Maresca has not overreacted to Chelsea’s winless run, insisting that such setbacks are always to be expected this early in his side’s “journey”.

Former Leicester City boss Maresca took over at Stamford Bridge at the start of this season and looked to have quickly turned Chelsea into Premier League title contenders.

Yet a stretch of three games without a win, drawing Everton and losing to Fulham and Ipswich Town, has left the Blues 10 points behind leaders Liverpool, who also have a game in hand.

Chelsea have not lost three in a row in the Premier League since May 2023 and visit Crystal Palace on Saturday.

They are still in the top four of the Premier League for that game, though, and Maresca is satisfied with the progress of a team that finished sixth last season and 12th the year before.

“No, we don’t like losing games or dropping points, but it’s not going to affect our journey as we’re all aware that during the season you lose games,” said the Chelsea coach.

Preparing for the Palace. @BingXOfficial | #EmpowerTheFuture #TrainInsider pic.twitter.com/09tUmnqpOl

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 3, 2025

“We are finishing the first part of the season, now starting the second part thinking we are going to win and lose, but it is important to improve game by game.

“This is a journey that started five or six months ago, not five or six years. Other teams started five or six years ago and are now fighting to win the Premier League – we started five or six months ago.”

Chelsea were held to a 1-1 draw by Palace in the reverse fixture at Stamford Bridge, but had won the previous 13 league meetings between the teams.