Chelsea experienced a sharp downturn in December, contrasting significantly with their seemingly harmonious position at the end of November. In November, the club was comfortably sitting third in the Premier League table and had recently achieved a notable victory over Barcelona at Stamford Bridge in the Champions League. However, the positive momentum abruptly ceased, with December yielding only a solitary league win for the team.

This performance slump has intensified the pressure on manager Enzo Maresca, but it is not merely the results contributing to his precarious situation. Reports indicate potential rifts emerging between the Italian manager and the club's hierarchy. Maresca's comments following the single December league win – a 2-0 home victory against Everton – reportedly stunned key figures within the club and even his own staff. He stated that "many people" had caused his "worst 48 hours" since joining the club.

These remarks, made from a position of relative strength after a strong performance and a win, were perceived dimly by the hierarchy, who believed they were the target of Maresca's criticism. Despite the negative reception, the club's leadership maintained a level-headed approach, opting to stick to their original plan of conducting an end-of-season review to determine the manager's future. The review would assess whether to continue with Maresca or part ways.

The club's struggles on the field have further compounded Maresca's challenges. With just one win in their last seven league matches, Chelsea's standing in the Premier League has deteriorated significantly. They are now seven points closer to 15th place than they are to third place, from which they are nine points adrift. This alarming slide has placed Maresca's job under severe threat.

Adding to the difficulties, Chelsea faces a demanding January schedule. Their next fixture is a challenging away game against Manchester City, and they will be without the suspended key midfielder Moises Caicedo. The month also includes high-stakes matches against Arsenal and Napoli, making January a potentially defining period for the club and its manager. Chelsea's primary objective remains qualification for the Champions League, a goal that is still considered realistic given their current fifth-place position with 30 points after 19 games. Additionally, the club aims for successful cup runs, having already reached the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup.