Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat to Ipswich Town left them fourth in the Premier League, ten points behind Liverpool at the top of the standings.
The festive period has been far from merry for Chelsea. A scintillating five-game winning streak brought them within two points of the Reds, but a barren run of just one point and one goal in three matches has tempered expectations.
“It’s a strange game in terms of creating many chances,” Maresca said, pointing to near-misses from Joao Felix and Noni Madueke.
“We could’ve scored many, but they saved goals on the line or the goalkeeper made great saves. We could do many things better, like defend better in some moments.”
For the third consecutive match, Chelsea looked vulnerable without Romeo Lavia anchoring the midfield.
Ipswich found it all too easy to bypass Chelsea’s lines, exposing a lack of balance that has become a recurring issue. Maresca admitted as much, highlighting the team’s inconsistency.
“This type of moment – it is almost impossible to have a season without it,” he added. “Not anyone in this room expected us to be where we are.
“It also shows we are far from competing consistently and being there with the best teams in England. We have to be satisfied where we are, but we need to improve.”
The manager’s faith in squad rotation was evident, with four changes from their last outing. However, the shuffle did little to inspire a coherent performance.
“We made changes because they all deserve to play,” Maresca explained. “Now we’ve finished the first part of the season, and no one expected us to be here. We are in a good position, but it’s a long race.”
While the Italian manager’s calm approach suggests a belief in the bigger picture, fans may wonder if the team’s potential is being undermined by these lapses.
For Chelsea to keep pace with England’s elite, improvement must come sooner rather than later.
