Enzo Maresca denies Chelsea doubts as Blues boss fears 'difficult' moment

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca never had any doubts about his pedigree for the job having led the Blues to an unexpected third position in the Premier League table. Chelsea head to struggling Southampton tonight looking to strengthen their grip on a top-four spot.

Under the guidance of the youthful 44-year-old manager, Chelsea’s young squad has shown remarkable development, culminating in a comprehensive victory against Aston Villa – a performance that signalled Chelsea are moving past recent challenges.

Having celebrated his six months in charge since guiding Leicester City to a swift return to the top tier, Maresca has dispelled the initial scepticism regarding his suitability for the Stamford Bridge role.

He said: “The good part of this job is first of all to see the players improve and then to see the players happy. I don’t doubt myself. The only thing I can say is all Premier League managers, Eddie Howe when he started (at Newcastle), he had experience? No.

“Pep (Guardiola) when he started at Barcelona, experience? No. Mikel (Arteta) when he started at Arsenal? No. When you started as a journalist? Experience? No.

“We all are in the same situation. When you start you don’t have experience. You can’t go to the supermarket and buy experience. You need time. It’s not only for me, it’s for all of us in different jobs. But in terms of doubting myself? No.”

Maresca reiterated his stance that despite matching Arsenal’s points tally, Chelsea are not yet in the title race. The Blues have suffered just one league defeat since the season’s start, maintaining a formidable record stretching back to mid-February under former boss Mauricio Pochettino.

Only last season’s top three – Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool – have managed to beat the Londoners since then.

This impressive run includes just three losses in 28 matches over 10 months, alongside 16 victories, hinting at a promising future for the club after a tumultuous two years marked by off-field controversies and on-pitch disappointments. Nonetheless, Maresca emphasised the need for realism.

“For sure we want this momentum to continue,” he acknowledged. “But not because we are thinking to win the title. We want to continue winning games and then we’ll see, but it’s not because we are thinking about the end of the season.

“You have to be ready (for a dip). It’s difficult to continue all season in the way we are now. A different moment will come and we’ll need to manage that and deal with it.”