Chelsea has lost 15 points from leading positions this season. They are also going through a period of decline, when the last 7 matches have only brought 1 victory, and the positive aftertaste from the FIFA Club World Cup championship has gradually faded.
At the end of last season, Chelsea showed signs of being able to build a new foundation. Coach Enzo Maresca brought a young squad back to the Champions League, then continued to conquer the Conference League and Club World Cup. Although it cannot yet be considered the golden age, the rule of "winning creates victory" at that time suggested a brighter prospect after the chaotic early years under Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, along with an ineffective coach change swirl.
But after 6 months, how much progress is there really. If you look at the boos after Chelsea's most recent terrible defeat to Bournemouth - a match that Maresca later missed in media activities due to viral infection - the answer seems not very optimistic.
In the Premier League table, this assessment may be considered harsh, because Chelsea still has a clear chance to compete for a Champions League spot. However, the problem lies in their performance trajectory. By mid-season 2025-2026, they are 5 points behind the same period last season and are showing a clear decline trend.
Maresca is said to be responsible for most of Chelsea's core issues. Rotating the squad too much has become a long-standing difficult problem. Chelsea has made 55 squad changes this season, and only Wolves - the team at the bottom of the table - is the only other name to surpass the 50 mark.
Managing a young squad requires effort in many arenas that require delicate personnel balance, but Maresca has made mistakes too many times. Right last week, in the match against Aston Villa, Benoit Badiashile was given a starting spot but directly made a mistake, leading to Ollie Watkins' equalizing goal.
In the encounter with Bournemouth, Maresca continued to make five changes in the starting lineup. However, he was forced to adjust immediately during the break, when Chelsea had to replace two people because the midfield was easily penetrated by the opponent.
Not all problems originate from him alone. Chelsea's squad still lacks serious depth in some positions, and also lacks experience in almost every line. The starting lineup against Bournemouth is even the youngest squad in any Premier League match this season.
Despite huge spending, an ineffective summer transfer window did not help the situation improve significantly, as Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens and Alejandro Garnacho have not yet maintained stable form.
Reece James being brought on from the bench allows The Blues to flexibly push their captain to play in midfield when needed, and at the same time bring on one of the few experienced leaders with natural leadership qualities.
Maresca was once praised, completely deserved, thanks to his tactical mark that helped him win the FIFA Club World Cup last summer. However, overall, he has not made much steady progress in tactics.
