Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca admits that Chelsea are unlikely to be title contenders in the Premier League this season due to a lack of consistency, and he also clarified his controversial comment about the “48 worst hours” after the win over Everton.
After the victory, Maresca declared he had gone through the “48 worst hours” since arriving at Stamford Bridge, causing a stir among the media and fans.
Chelsea beat Everton 2–0 at home earlier this month, at a time when the team had just experienced a three‑match winless run in all competitions, putting heavy pressure on the Blues.
When asked about his earlier remark, Maresca said it was simply an emotional reaction during a tense period, something that can happen to any group.
“There are moments like that. We spend a lot of time together, so having good times and bad times is normal. I think that happens in every family.”
This season, Chelsea have recorded big wins at home, including beating defending Premier League champions Liverpool and a 3–0 victory over Barcelona in the Champions League. When asked whether Chelsea tend to play better against stronger opponents, Maresca agreed, but stressed that the biggest problem is consistency.
“That may be true at this moment. And that’s also why we haven’t been able to get close to the leading group: we need more consistency against different types of opponents.”
“That’s one of the future goals — to improve how we play against such teams, and hopefully we continue doing well against big teams.”
The Italian manager believes that to compete for the title, a club must maintain a high level of performance continuously.
“If you want to be in the title race at the end of the season, you must be consistent. Otherwise you will struggle. That is why I see December, January, and February as very important months.”
“After that, I think by March you can clearly define your goals. And we hope to be in a position where we can fight for something bigger.”
