Enzo Maresca has delivered a positive verdict on the season so far as Chelsea head into Christmas.
The 44-year-old has exceeded expectations since his Chelsea appointment and even admitted the Blues are ahead of the schedule he initially believed they were capable of at this stage.
Chelsea will head into Christmas in second place in the Premier League. They have also qualified for the last-16 of the Conference League after winning all six of their league phase matches.
Maresca has navigated his way through Chelsea's previous problems, including squad management of minutes and relentless injury setbacks, to put his side in a strong and commanding position heading into the New Year and second half of the season.
We extend our unbeaten run to 12 games in all competitions.
Another point in the bag, Blues! 👊🔵 pic.twitter.com/1TTYs8T4yh
— Absolute Chelsea (@AbsoluteChelsea) December 22, 2024
Following Chelsea's early season form, which sees them 12 games unbeaten in all competitions, talk of a Premier League title challenge emerged and increased. Maresca was quick to shut it down to relieve the pressure on his side, who he insists are not ready yet to compete for the league title.
They were held to a goalless draw on Sunday afternoon away to Everton at Goodison Park, a ground they do not have many fond memories of. In seasons gone by, Chelsea may have lost the tight affair on an afternoon where the conditions - wind and rain - proved challenging for both sides.
Chelsea will enter Christmas next week on a positive note rather than a losing note, which it quite easily could've been, however they had the likes of Robert Sanchez and Tosin Adarabioyo to thank for the clean sheet on Merseyside.
"Tosin was very good," said Maresca post-match. "Levi (Colwill) was very good. All the players defensively today, we were very good, so I'm happy for them. Again, a clean sheet, we don't concede."
Tosin Adarabioyo
IMAGO / Sportimage
Chelsea have two games left to play in 2024 before they embark on a fresh calendar year where chances of winning trophies awaits. Maresca's Blues will host Fulham on Boxing Day, and then will travel to Portman Road to face newly-promoted Ipswich Town on December 30.
With Christmas coming up next week, Maresca offered a reflection of Chelsea's current position and there is a lot of room for optimism given how they are faring.
"We arrived to the Christmas moment second in the table with the best attack and one of the best defences," Maresca said, "so we are happy but the most important thing is we need to learn to play different kind of games and today was not an easy game."