Chelsea blew a 1-0 lead against Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday and have now fallen further behind Unai Emery’s side.
The Blues took the lead in the 37th minute when Joao Pedro managed to turn in Reece James’ corner.
However, Ollie Watkins was able to equalise for Villa before scoring his side’s winner late in the game.
Chelsea drop a huge three points 😑
What has disappointed you most about the performance?
Chelsea lose to Aston Villa
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Chelsea could have had a penalty after the ball hit Ian Maatsen’s arm in the second half, but nothing was given. All in all, it was a bad afternoon for Enzo Maresca, who was forced to watch the match from the stands because of his touchline ban.
Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa celebrates scoring
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Enzo Maresca ‘absolutely crushed’
Understandably, Maresca was unable to hide his disappointment after Watkins’ 84th minute winner for Villa.
Sky Sports reporter Peter Smith was able to see the Chelsea manager’s reaction to his team’s collapse from the press box.
“Maresca looks absolutely crushed behind us in the press box,” Smith shared. “The suspended Chelsea head coach can’t believe what he’s seeing.”
Why aren’t Chelsea killing off games? 👎
Chelsea have dropped 11 points from winning positions in home Premier League matches this season — four more than any other side.
— BBC Sport
Cole Palmer of Chelsea runs with the ball
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Maresca and Chelsea cannot feel sorry for themselves for too long following their 2-1 defeat to Villa.
They play again on Tuesday, taking on Bournemouth, which could be another tricky fixture. The Cherries have already managed to hold Chelsea to a draw this month.
Chelsea's Italian head coach Enzo Maresca (centre R) sits behind the press tribune as he serves a touchline ban
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Enzo Maresca could leave Chelsea at the end of the season
Maresca’s done a good job at Stamford Bridge overall. In the summer, he was able to guide Chelsea to the Club World Cup trophy.
A couple of months before that, the 45-year-old inspired the club to glory in the Conference League.
However, Maresca looks and sounds far from happy right now as Chelsea continue to falter in both the Premier League and Champions League.
The former Leicester City boss made headlines earlier in December when he claimed that he had not been supported.
All things considered, it would not be a complete shock if Maresca and Chelsea decided to part ways at the end of the season. His future is currently uncertain and these poor results are not helping things.
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