What has happened to Chelsea under Enzo Maresca?
The Chelsea players following their 1-0 loss to Arsenal at the Emirates on Sunday, March 16th.
A Team Plagued by Inconsistency
Inconsistency is in Chelsea’s DNA at this point. It has been the story of this club since it was forced to part ways with former owner Roman Abromavich back in March of 2022. Particularly since Todd Boehly and co foolishly decided to part ways with Thomas Tuchel, Chelsea Football Club has been in a constant state of change, turmoil, and relentless scrutiny by the media and fans alike. However, in this 2024/25 season under Enzo Maresca, for a moment there it seemed like they had left it all behind and weren’t looking back. Up until the end of December, Chelsea was playing some incredible soccer and firmly contending for the title. Pundits everywhere were eating their words and it looked as if Chelsea’s new owners were finally being vindicated for their massive overhaul these last couple of years. However, Chelsea’s season has been tailing off since. A run of inconsistent results and uninspiring performances has now left Chelsea back in 4th place, 21 points off first-placed Liverpool after being as close as 3 points back earlier in the season. Though 4th place still leaves Chelsea with Champions League qualification firmly in their hands, only 5 points stand between 10th and 4th in the Premier League at the moment. Any slip up could see Chelsea plummet down the table, and in the form they’re in it would not come as a surprise.
A 1-0 Defeat at the Emirates
On Sunday March 16th, a lackluster and uninspiring Chelsea fell 1-0 to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. I had the blessed and incredible opportunity to sit through all 90 minutes of it, and boy do I wish I could have those 2 hours of my life back. What an embarrassing performance, honestly. Chelsea was extremely fortunate that the score was only 1-0 to Arsenal, because it should have been a lot more. The Blues managed a sorry 2 shots on target the entire match, and both came from their left back Marc Cucurella. The lack of urgency, particularly late in the game down 1-0, was honestly baffling at times. It really seemed like the players out there were content with passing side to side and backwards until the clock ran out. There was no movement ahead of the ball, and not one single player wanted to take initiative and press the issue. They looked tired and devoid of ideas. Should I acknowledge that the absence of key attacking players like Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, and Noni Madueke played a role? Absolutely. But these are still professional players at the end of the day. Jadon Sancho and Christopher Nkunku were absolutely awful on the day, and neutrals probably didn’t even know they were on the pitch for Chelsea. The only one I really saw fight from was Enzo Fernandez, who is becoming a real leader of the group. I wanted so badly to will the players forward myself, and it was just so frustrating to watch. Take a shot, beat your man, make a run in behind. Do something, anything besides the bare minimum of passing it sideways and keeping the ball.
It was truly one of the most boring Chelsea performances I have ever witnessed, in arguably our biggest rivalry of the season as well. These players should have been chomping at the bit to get out there and beat Arsenal at their home ground, and yet they were just so uninspiring. Though Arsenal's title hopes are all but over, a win for Chelsea on Sunday would have truly cemented it and given the Blues a 4 point cushion in 4th place. Luckily for Chelsea, their top 4 rivals below also lost over the weekend, so they maintain their position heading into the international break.
Outlook for the Rest of the Season
Enzo Maresca needs to figure out the problems with this squad soon, because anything short of Champions League qualification this year would be an abject failure. Success for Chelsea at this point of the season is finishing in the top 4 and handily winning the UEFA Conference League, a competition they have strolled through up until this point. Ideally, the Blues will welcome Nicolas Jackson back into the squad after the international break, as well as a rejuvenated Cole Palmer following his time with England. There is no doubt that those two are the key to Chelsea’s attack and will give them a much needed boost to close out the campaign. However, if this performance against Arsenal was any indication, it is not looking good. Enzo Maresca needs to reiterate to these guys how crucial it is to not let all that good work in the first half of the season come undone. This team is capable of playing some incredible soccer, we’ve seen it this season. It just hasn’t been consistent enough, but they have the ability. I truly hope they find some inspiration and achieve some measure of success this year, because finishing outside of the top 4 and failing to win the Conference League would be an absolute disaster. Let’s not have that conversation yet, though, and try to back the manager and the players as they head into a crucial stretch of the season.
