Chelsea have long had a reputation for a club that does not linger on decisions when it comes to he future of their manager.
Jose Mourinho ended a 50-year wait for a league title at Stamford Bridge in 2004/05 and went back-to-back the following season. Still, a few months after coming second to Manchester United and winning the FA Cup final against the same foes in 2007, Mourinho departed, having been at loggerheads with owner Roman Abramovich.
That set in motion the hire-and-fire years under Abramovich and matters only accelerated when the Russian oligarch was forced to sell up in 2022. After two seasons running the show, Todd Boehly and Clearlake have seen off 2020/21 Champions League winner Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and Mauricio Pochettino.
By that standard, Enzo Maresca making it into a second season in charge in west London is no mean feat. The Italian tactician ticked every box last season, returning Chelsea to the UEFA Champions League, winning the Conference League and lifting the FIFA Club World Cup.
Heading into this weekend's match at Newcastle United, the Blues are fourth in the Premier League, in the hunt to reach the Champions League knockout rounds and into the semifinals of the Carabao Cup.
All smooth sailing, right?
What's going on with Enzo Maresca and Chelsea? '
Despite last season's top-line achievements, the issue for Maresca at Chelsea is a continued sense of a couple of steps back following any big moment of progress.
The most recent example of this came after the Blues closed November with statement performances against Barcelona and Arsenal. Having swept aside Hansi Flick's men with an authoritative 3-0 win, Maresca's side went blow-for-blow with the Premier League leaders and earned a deserved 1-1 draw despite Moises Caicedo's first-half red card.
Plenty of the discussion after the match revolved around how Chelsea looked like the most likely title challengers to Mikel Arteta's side. That draw was certainly not envisaged as being the first in a run of four winless games, including defeat to relegation-threatened Leeds United in the Premier League and Atalanta in Europe.
After his side got back to winning ways with a routine 2-0 victory over Everton, Maresca went nuclear…if you can do that in a cryptic fashion.
“The last 48 hours have been the hardest since I joined the club because so many people didn’t support me and the team," he said, giving an answer to a question about Malo Gusto's form that escalated somewhat. Maresca then professed his "love" for the Chelsea supporters, so they were off the hook.
When he was asked to expand upon the remarks prior to Tuesday's Carabao Cup quarterfinal win over Cardiff, namely whether or not the comments referred to sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley. Maresca claimed he had been "quite clear", which he hadn't exactly.
Battling past Cardiff into the semifinals of the Carabao Cup – where Chelsea supporters sang their coach's name – quelled talk about Maresca's future for all of a day and a half.
MORE: Carabao Cup 2025/26 round dates, schedule, results for each phase of English football tournament
Is Enzo Maresca going to Man City?
On Thursday, December 18, The Athletic's David Ornstein reported Maresca was under consideration to be the next manager of Manchester City if Pep Guardiola leaves at the end of this season. The 45-year-old was City's Under-23 manager in 2020/21, leading a team featuring Cole Palmer to Premier League 2 glory. He returned to the Etihad Stadium to work as one of Guardiola's assistants during the treble-winning season in 2022/23.
"It doesn't affect me at all because I know it's 100 per cent speculation," Maresca said prior to Saturday's visit to Newcastle. Ahead of City's weekend match against West Ham, Guardiola – who is under contract until June 2027 – was similarly dismissive.
Asked whether he would see out his deal amid the Maresca speculation, he said: "The last three or four years at a certain period, I get asked this question. Sooner or later, 75 or 76, I will quit from Manchester City. I understand that question, but I have 18 months, I am so delighted and have been."
If Maresca taking his stand, one that felt like a calculated rather than an emotional outburst, is not to do with angling for a new job, it probably relates to Chelsea's ongoing project of racking up promising young players with a high resale value. It's a safe bet they will be active during the January transfer window, and perhaps Maresca has identified this as a time to make his voice heard.
In the meantime, it places extra scrutiny on every result during a busy period, starting with a tricky trip to St James's Park.