Enzo Maresca says Chelsea’s season depends on consistency through December and January

Enzo Maresca has warned that Chelsea’s season will be shaped “almost entirely” by what happens over the next two months, as the Blues prepare for a relentless run of 15 matches across December and January. The head coach believes the period will determine whether Chelsea emerge as genuine Premier League title contenders — or fall away as the pressure intensifies.

Leeds United host Chelsea today in the first of a daunting sequence that includes Premier League fixtures, Champions League clashes and a Carabao Cup quarter-final away at Cardiff City. Should Chelsea progress, a two-legged semi-final will add even more weight to an already punishing schedule.

With expectations high and the club competing on multiple fronts, Maresca is refusing to make firm declarations about title ambitions until the winter storm has passed.

Maresca explained that the league table in December is meaningless if a team cannot withstand the demands of winter football.

“The teams that are able to be consistent in December and January will probably be the teams that are there in February and March for the title,” he said.

“If in February or March we are in the same place as we are now, then we are going to be title contenders. But now we are in December — for me it’s too early.”

The Italian referenced last season’s mid-winter drop, when Chelsea lost 4–2 to Fulham on Boxing Day and subsequently surrendered valuable points during a disrupted spell. He stressed that European involvement only deepens the challenge.

“It’s a complicated time for every team,” he said. “Especially the ones that also have European competitions because you play every three days.”

Chelsea’s schedule is not just congested — it is unforgiving.

“From today on we have eight games in December,” Maresca said. “In January we have maybe eight games. They are the two most complicated months.”

For Maresca, the solution is not tactical reinvention, but stability.

“The main focus is on trying to be consistent in the next two months,” he insisted. “If after that we are able to survive and be there in February, March, for sure we are going to compete.”

His use of the word “survive” is telling. Chelsea’s football under Maresca has often been sharp and structured, but the demands ahead require not just technical quality — but emotional resilience.

From our analysis of Chelsea under Maresca, the team’s strongest performances have come when rhythm, repetition and familiarity are present. That structure risks being disrupted by fixture overload, fatigue and forced rotation.

The danger is not a single bad result — but the accumulation of small dips, loss of tempo, and mental exhaustion. Historically, this is the period where Premier League title candidates either pull away or fall out of contention entirely.

Although some sceptics will argue that Chelsea should already be judged as title contenders, it is worth questioning whether any team can make such a claim before the winter run. December and January are where the table resets — injuries rise, squads stretch, and tactical ideas are tested under pressure.

Maresca’s caution is not hesitation but realism. Chelsea’s current position offers promise, but their fate rests on consistency, not fireworks.

Chelsea will need every member of their squad over the next eight weeks. Rotation will be essential. Young players will be given responsibility. Veterans will be relied upon to maintain standards. Training intensity cannot drop even as recovery time shrinks.

This is the stretch that exposes the truth about a team’s identity.

If Chelsea navigate it successfully, they will enter February as genuine title contenders and deep competitors in Europe and domestic cups. If not, they risk being left behind in multiple competitions.

Maresca knows that better than anyone.

Leeds United host Chelsea today, aiming to set the tone for a pivotal two-month stretch. Victory would offer immediate momentum — but Maresca knows the true challenge is sustaining it.

👉 Will Chelsea “survive” December and January well enough to fight for the title come March?