Enzo Maresca facing the heat as Chelsea take on Everton with Champions League hopes on the line | OneFootball

Enzo Maresca will take charge of his 50th game as Chelsea manager when the Blues host Everton in a crunch top-five six-pointer at Stamford Bridge.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference earlier today, Maresca couldn’t hide his excitement and praised his journey so far as “a good experience”.

However, he’d hardly be heading into Saturday’s game in a celebratory mood – not with his side lacking in form and confidence.

Maresca made a fine start to life in the Chelsea dugout – a six-month spell that had even the most pessimistic fan drooling about a potential title challenge.

But a woeful second half of the season has left Chelsea battling for a top-five finish.

This weekend, the stakes couldn’t be higher. A six-pointer in every sense, but more so for Chelsea, who can’t afford to drop any more points in a tightly contested race.

Chelsea are one of five teams vying for a top-five finish. At the moment, the Blues are on the back foot. Manchester City pushed up to third with a 2-1 win against Aston Villa.

The Blues are now four points behind City, three behind Nottingham Forest and two adrift of Newcastle United heading into this weekend’s round of games.

Only goal difference separates them from Villa, but they could create some breathing space with a win against Everton.

This weekend could make or break Chelsea’s Champions League hopes, and possibly Maresca’s future.

However, the Italian remains adamant that the club has made significant strides this season, regardless of where they finish. “It’s already an improvement because we spent all season there,” he said.

“Now, we want to try our best to finish there, no doubt. But compared to the last two years, I think it’s quite clear that there is an improvement.”

Maresca is playing a game of perspectives, but it’s clear that anything other than a win against Everton could prematurely end their hopes of Champions League football.

It doesn’t help that the atmosphere at the Bridge has started to curdle. Fans are growing restless with what they perceive as a lack of cutting-edge and consistency.

There’s no doubt that the club’s long-term project will benefit from a manager who sticks to his guns. But time is a luxury few managers are afforded at Chelsea.

The revolving door policy of the past few years doesn’t leave much room for slow burners.

But Maresca has a chance to endear himself a bit more to the fans. He needs to prove that he and his players are ready to rise to the occasion.