Online Reporter
CHELSEA manager Enzo Maresca said he was “completely relaxed” about his side’s dip in form as he seeks greater consistency ahead of today’s home match against Everton.
The Blues thumped Barcelona 3-0 in the Champions League on November 25 and earned an impressive 1-1 draw against English Premier League football leaders Arsenal days later.
But they have not won since, losing at Leeds and Atalanta and drawing with Bournemouth. Chelsea boss Maresca was yesterday named Premier League manager of the month for November, in recognition of his side’s unbeaten record.
“We are in December now,” he said, laughing, at his press conference.
“This kind of thing is because you do the right things in terms of performance and results,” he added. “For us, November was fantastic. December, we didn’t start in the way we would like, even if it’s just one week ago we played Leeds (a 3-1 defeat on December 3). “So it’s just three games in a row in one week that we didn’t get the results that we expect, but we are now focused on the next one.” Chelsea, who won the UEFA Conference League and Club World Cup last season, are fifth in the Premier League, eight points behind Arsenal. Maresca said he was relaxed about Chelsea’s mini-slump. “It’s football, it’s completely normal,” he said. “I understand most of the time we are always looking for problems or things we need to solve.
“The Leeds game was last Wednesday, eight or nine days ago. We are not going to change our season be-cause we didn’t get the points that we expect.
“But I’m completely relaxed, I’m completely OK because I’m sure that at the end of the season we’re going to be where we have to be.” The Italian admitted that improving consistency was the next step for his young squad.
“In terms of human beings, it’s impossible to be all season at the same level but for sure probably we need to learn things and to avoid that in the the future,” he said.
Maresca said forward Cole Palmer should be available to face Everton after missing Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat by Atalanta.
Arteta cancels Christmas
Mikel Arteta has cancelled Christmas at Arsenal. Well, sort of.
The manager has decided that the English Premiership football club’s first-team squad should all report to training on December 25 even though the team does not have a game on Boxing Day.
Arsenal face Brighton at the Emirates on December 27 but Arteta is keen to get the players in training on Christmas Day morning although the squad will be able to return home and will not be staying in a hotel.
Fixtures
Today (all 5pm unless otherwise stated): Chelsea v Everton; Liverpool v Brighton; Burnley v Fulham (7:30pm); Arsenal v Wolves (10pm).
Tomorrow: Crystal Palace v Manchester City (4pm); Nottingham Forest v Tottenham Hotspur (4pm); Sunder-land v Newcastle (4pm); West Ham v Aston Villa (4pm; Brentford v Leeds United (6:30pm).
Monday: Manchester United v Bournemouth (10pm). — AFP Sport/thesun.co.uk
