Enzo Maresca is facing increased scrutiny after Chelsea was held to a 2-2 draw by Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge on December 30, 2025. The result leaves Chelsea in fifth place in the Premier League standings, 13 points behind leaders Arsenal.
The match was a tale of two halves, with all the goals coming in a frenetic first 45 minutes. Bournemouth drew first blood when David Brooks scored from close range following a long throw-in. Chelsea responded quickly, with Cole Palmer converting a penalty after Estevão Willian was fouled in the box. The Blues then took the lead through a brilliant strike from Enzo Fernández. However, Bournemouth leveled the score again when Justin Kluivert scored from another long throw-in. The second half failed to produce any goals despite Chelsea's persistent pressure.
Maresca made two substitutions at the start of the second half, bringing on Pedro Neto and Josh Acheampong. Later in the game, Andrey Santos and Jamie Gittens were also introduced. Despite these changes, Chelsea was unable to break down Bournemouth's defense and find a winning goal.
The draw against Bournemouth extends Chelsea's unbeaten run against the Cherries to eight Premier League games. However, it also means that Chelsea has dropped 11 points from winning positions at Stamford Bridge this season, which is the highest in the league.
Maresca's position at Chelsea has come under increasing pressure in recent weeks. Despite winning the UEFA Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup in his first season, Chelsea are not showing expected progress in the Premier League. Moreover, there have been reports of frustration from the manager regarding a lack of support. While Chelsea officials are unlikely to make any immediate decisions, Maresca's performance is expected to be reviewed at the end of the season.
Maresca, who was appointed as Chelsea's head coach on a five-year contract in June 2024, led Leicester City to the EFL Championship title before joining Chelsea. His coaching style is influenced by Pep Guardiola, under whom he worked at Manchester City. He is known for his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation.
As Chelsea enters the second half of the Premier League season, Maresca will need to find a way to improve his team's consistency and turn draws into wins. Otherwise, the pressure on his position will only continue to mount.
