Chelsea seemed to be finding their rhythm this season, but a disappointing draw with Qarabag meant they were back to their usual struggles. Wednesday night’s 2-2 result against Azerbaijan leaves the Blues in a vulnerable position in the Champions League, currently sitting in 12th place and facing a tough showdown with Barcelona later this month.
Things are not so bright in the Premier League either. Saturday’s 1-0 win at Tottenham was a boon, but Enzo Maresca’s side are struggling to keep pace with title favorites Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City after dropping points in half of their previous 10 games. Maresca made seven changes to the journey to Qarabag, with the aim of giving some rest to some tired regulars. However, that strategy quickly fell apart. Injuries, including the premature collapse of the eternally clumsy Romeo Lavia after just eight minutes, and a 2-1 deficit at half-time, forced him to call up his main stars earlier than planned.
Goals from Estevao and Alejandro Garnacho highlighted Chelsea’s progress in attacking width, but they could not disguise an overall uneven performance, especially against a team that crushed the Blues 10-0 on aggregate in 2017/18.
The Italian manager now faces the urgent task of stabilizing his team ahead of Saturday’s clash with Wolves, as pressure on Maresca mounts again. Here, Express Football covers the latest Chelsea stories.
Maresca dismissal verdict
Chelsea’s campaign has been inconsistent, but Maresca’s job does not appear to be in immediate jeopardy. The club’s leadership continues to support him and has expressed confidence that he can lead the team back into the top four.
Last month, reports surfaced that Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola was a potential successor, but sources insist there are no formal discussions underway to replace Maresca.
There is a widespread feeling within the club that his progress has been severely hampered by injuries. Cole Palmer, for example, has not played since September after starting the season less than full fitness. The absence of Levi Colwill weakened the defense, while Liam Delap’s injury left Chelsea lacking options up front.
The club’s mid-summer Club World Cup campaign, which was financially favorable but saw them suspend pre-season and deny their players proper rest until the 2025-26 season, has also been blamed as a key factor in their erratic form.
Coupled with wins against Tottenham and Liverpool, Maresca has had some breathing room. But that patience may wear thin if Chelsea’s instability lingers into the new year.
Karabagh is held responsible.
Llorel Hato conceded the crucial penalty against Qarabag, but Maresca placed the blame elsewhere. The 45-year-old manager believes the extended summer tour of the United States has taken a toll on his team, affecting their fitness, rhythm and sharpness, all of which have contributed to the slow start.
“The Club World Cup has a big impact,” he told reporters after the match. “We’re trying to rotate. When you win, no one talks about that. When you don’t win, everyone focuses on that. I think it’s important now to get our energy back for Saturday and compete again.”
However, he acknowledged Chelsea’s lack of decisiveness and criticized the poor defending that led to both goals. “The big difference for me today was in the box,” Maresca insisted. “The goal we conceded was a stupid goal for me. In their box, we weren’t clinical enough for the number of times we arrived. So this is a big difference for me.”
Captain Reece James echoed those frustrations, highlighting the defensive lapses that cost Qarabag the goal. “To sum it up, it’s disappointing,” the 25-year-old said after the match. “Coming here, we wanted to win. We felt we prepared strongly, but we made two mistakes that led to the penalty and the goal we gave. After that, it’s hard to get back into the game.”
“Two mistakes led to two goals. It’s difficult when the flow of the game changes. We just didn’t do enough. There were some chances we didn’t take and the responsibility is only on ourselves.”
“If you look at the goals we conceded, it wasn’t because of great play, it was more because of our mistakes, and that’s something we need to cut back on.”
