Maresca was something of a surprise choice for the award. Also nominated were Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta and Aston Villa’s Unai Emery, whose eight-match winning streak got underway on November 6 with a Europa League win over Maccabi Tel Aviv.

It is rare for senior figures at any team to speak out, not just Chelsea, on such matters. And even if they did, it would be counter-productive, because statements of support are often perceived from the outside as the ‘dreaded vote of confidence’ before a decision ends up being taken days or weeks later to part ways with the manager concerned.

One player is now confirmed to be out of our upcoming fixture against Newcastle United this coming Saturday afternoon.Maresca has already been talking about a lack of time between fixtures ahead of

Enzo Maresca believes how Chelsea go through the December and January fixtures would determine whether his team can be considered contenders for the Premier League title.

Just a few weeks ago, many believed Enzo Maresca would be the manager to guide Chelsea to their first Premier League title in a decade. But just one extraordinary press conference has cast the Italian’s future at Stamford Bridge into uncertainty.

There was good enough reason for everyone at Chelsea to feel positive about their prospects this season as November rolled into December. Enzo Maresca had just led his young side to a seismic 3-0 win over Barcelona in the Champions League,

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca predicted that the “four, five, six teams” at the Premier League summit must all be considered title contenders.