Enzo Maresca pinpoints why Chelsea are not Premier League title contenders as he reflects on 'worst 48 hours' remarks

Chelsea defeated Everton 2-0 at Stamford Bridge on December 3 after going winless in their last three matches across all competitions, including losses against Leeds United and Atalanta. The Blues were under immense pressure to perform against the Toffees and Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto made sure their side walked away with three points.

After the match, Maresca told reporters: "This is the reason why I praise the players because with so many problems they are doing very well after a complicated week. Since I joined the club the last 48 hours has been the worst 48 hours since I joined the club because many people didn’t support us. So very happy for Malo in that moment that the effort from Malo and the rest showed that they are all there and want to help this club."

Maresca was quizzed further on what he meant and added: "Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn’t support me and the team." 

The Chelsea boss was then asked if the issue was an internal problem or related to supporters and explained: "In general. I love the fans, and I am very happy with the fans."

Reflecting on his comments nearly two weeks on, the Chelsea boss told Sky Sports: "There are moments. We spend so much time together, so it’s normal that in some moments you can have some better moments or worse moments. I think that happens in any moment in any family."

Maresca was further asked whether he was annoyed at the focus on his 48-hour comments, and he replied, "No, it becomes annoying that after two or three weeks, we are still talking about the same. I can understand that in the media in the days after that it can cause some reaction, that I cannot control. But what annoys me is that after two or three weeks, we are still talking about the same thing when I’ve already clarified that there is not any problems with ones above, that I said one week ago before the Newcastle game."

Looking for smarter football bets? Get expert previews, data-driven predictions & winning insights with GOAL Tips on Telegram. Join our growing community now!

This season at home, Chelsea have beaten Premier League champions Liverpool and dismissed Barcelona 3-0 in the Champions League. When asked if it was fair that the Blues perform better against 'bigger' teams, the Italian agreed, while stressing they need to maintain a very high level every week.

He told Sky Sports: "Probably it’s correct in this moment, and it’s the reason why we are not probably in this moment close to the top is that we need to be more consistent against different kinds of teams. And it’s one of the targets for the future, to try to improve how to play games against these kinds of teams, and hopefully we can continue to do the right things against big teams.

"If you want to be there at the end of the season, you have to be consistent; otherwise, you struggle. That’s why I consider December, January and February important months, because after that I think you can set the targets in March, and hopefully we will be in a place where we can fight for something more."

Incidentally, Antoine Semenyo's future at Bournemouth has been a subject of speculation, with several clubs across the world being linked with a move for the winger. Among the Premier League teams, Manchester City are being deemed favourites to secure Semenyo's signature. The Athletic reported earlier this week that while the Blues are admirers of Semenyo's talent, they have no plans of pursuing a move for him in January, as they have confidence in their existing set of players and depth in their roster.