Chelsea are going through a worrying slump under Enzo Maresca (Picture: Getty)
Chelsea are ‘happy’ with the job Enzo Maresca has done at Stamford Bridge despite the club’s worrying slump culminating in their ‘worst performance of the season’ last time out.
This time two months ago Chelsea were preparing to visit Goodison Park knowing a victory over struggling Everton would have sent them above Liverpool at the top 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 slip 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 same opposition in the Premier League on Friday night with what Maresca described as his team’s ‘worst performance of the season’.
Brighton, who have sold a number of players to Chelsea, led 2-0 at half-time thanks to goals from Kaoru Mitoma and Yankuba Minteh before the latter added a third after the break.
‘Probably since I arrived that is the worst performance, especially in the moment we are in,’ Maresca said.
‘We are fourth in the league and winning tonight you can go one point from third and make the gap to the rest bigger and the performance is not one you want to offer so we are very upset and sorry for the fans that were here.
Stamford Bridge owner Todd Boehly (Picture: Getty)
‘This is the worst moment since I arrived but we are still there and we need to finish in the best way.’
Chelsea fans were visibly and audibly frustrated during the club’s latest defeat, chanting for their 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 safe for now.
It is claimed the board have been ‘happy’ with Chelsea’s progress under Maresca and believe they are in fact ahead of schedule as he was told he was not expected to qualify for the Champions League until next season.
Brighton beat Chelsea twice in a week (Picture: Getty)
While Chelsea have dropped to sixth, they have occupied a top-four spot for most of the campaign and are just a point behind Manchester City.
There is also sympathy for Maresca given the amount of injuries he has had to deal with lately, 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 right man for the job and intend to give him every chance to take the Blues back to the top.
Speaking after Chelsea’s humbling defeat to Brighton, ex-England defender Jamie Carragher said it would be a ‘disaster’ if the west London club did not qualify for the Champions League.
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‘This idea that this project is going to take three years, the problem is that the best players won’t wait that long,’ the Liverpool legend said on Sky Sports.
‘You can see a frustration starting to build. Cole Palmer is good enough to compete for the biggest honours.
‘Nottingham Forest are third and Chelsea have spent over a billion pounds. They are basically playing once a week. They have to get Champions League. If they don’t get Champions League it will be a disaster.
‘Chelsea has been deemed in the last couple of years a project and I think the natives will be getting restless.
‘[Mauricio] Pochettino had an incredible run at the end of the season. I think in terms of the numbers you have to look at, there is not going to be much difference between the seasons.
‘I think it is a real worry if they aren’t getting Champions League football. They have spent big boy money and they were one of the big boys before they even spent that money.’
Chelsea will be desperate to return to winning ways next weekend when they travel to Birmingham to face Unai Emery’s Aston Villa.
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