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Maresca ‘relaxed’ about Chelsea’s rough patch

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said he was “completely relaxed” about his side’s dip in form as he seeks greater consistency ahead of Saturday’s home match against Everton.

The Blues thumped Barcelona 3-0 in the Champions League on November 25 and earned an impressive 1-1 draw against Premier League leaders Arsenal days later.

But they have not won since, losing at Leeds and Atalanta and drawing with Bournemouth.

Chelsea boss Maresca was Friday named Premier League manager of the month for November, in recognition of his side’s unbeaten record.

“We are in December now,” he said, laughing, at his press conference.

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“This kind of thing is because you do the right things in terms of performance and results,” he added.

“For us, November was fantastic. December, we didn’t start in the way we would like, even if it’s just one week ago, we played Leeds (a 3-1 defeat on December 3).

“So it’s just three games in a row in one week that we didn’t get the results that we expect but we are now focused on the next one.”

Chelsea, who won the UEFA Conference League and Club World Cup last season, are fifth in the Premier League, eight points behind Arsenal.

Maresca said he was relaxed about Chelsea’s mini-slump.

“It’s football, it’s completely normal,” he said. “I understand most of the time we are always looking for problems or things we need to solve.

“The Leeds game was last Wednesday, eight or nine days ago. We are not going to change our season because we didn’t get the points that we expect.

“But I’m completely relaxed, I’m completely OK because I’m sure that at the end of the season we’re going to be where we have to be.”

The Italian admitted that improving consistency was the next step for his young squad.

“In terms of human beings, it’s impossible to be all season at the same level but for sure probably we need to learn things and to avoid that in the the future,” he said.

Maresca said forward Cole Palmer should be available to face Everton after missing Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat by Atalanta.

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Manchester City’s Grealish to join Everton on loan: reports

Manchester City winger Jack Grealish has agreed to join Everton on loan for the 2025-26 season, according to reports on Monday.

Grealish fell out of favour with City boss Pep Guardiola last season and made just seven starts in the Premier League.

The 29-year-old was left out of City’s squad for the Club World Cup in the United States amid speculation that he was set to leave the Etihad Stadium.

Everton have now agreed a deal for Grealish, who earns a reported £300,000 ($402,000) per week, ahead of the new Premier League campaign, which starts for the Toffees at Leeds on August 18.

The England international joined City from Aston Villa in 2021 for a then British record fee of £100 million.

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Grealish has won three Premier League titles, the Champions League and the FA Cup with City, but his form had dipped significantly since he played a key role in the 2022-23 treble-winning campaign.

He was left out of England’s Euro 2024 squad, an omission that left him “heartbroken”.

Guardiola rarely picked Grealish last season despite City’s struggles and he was left on the bench for the shock FA Cup final defeat against Crystal Palace.

If Grealish passes a medical and completes his move to Everton, the winger will have a chance to revive his spluttering career and potentially earn a recall to the England squad ahead of next year’s World Cup.

Everton recently left Goodison Park to move into their new Hill Dickenson stadium ahead of the season, with Grealish set to take centre stage in the plush arena.

He will rank as Everton’s biggest signing since the end of last season after a quiet summer in the transfer market for boss David Moyes.

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Everton beat Southampton in emotional farewell to Goodison

Everton said goodbye to Goodison Park in style with a 2-0 Premier League win over Southampton thanks to a double for Iliman Ndiaye on an emotional Sunday in Merseyside.

Home of the Toffees since 1892, Goodison will play host to Everton’s women from next season as the men move to a new 52,000 capacity stadium.

Legends of Everton’s past, including former England captain Wayne Rooney, watched on impressed as Ndiaye produced two fine first-half finishes to ensure there was a happy ending for the home fans.

The business on the pitch was a sideshow with already-relegated Saints providing the perfect opposition for a glorious goodbye.

Sun-kissed streets around the ground were covered in acrid blue smoke hours before the noon kick-off as thousands of Everton fans even without tickets made the pilgrimage for a final time.

The Toffees have not won a major trophy for the past 30 years.

But Goodison was the scene of the club’s bygone glory years.

Only four clubs have won more English top-flight titles than Everton’s nine.

There is hope that the move to a new state-of-the-art stadium in Liverpool’s docklands, allied to new ownership under the US-based Friedkin Group, can help restore good times on the field after seasons of battling relegation.

“It will be sad when it goes, but we’re moving into something which we think will give us a bigger and better future,” said Everton manager David Moyes.

Mired in financial troubles, Everton have had to fight for survival in recent seasons to maintain an unbroken 71-year stay among the elite.

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If there is to be a brighter future next season, Ndiaye is likely to be at the heart of it.

The 25-year-old Senegalese international has proved a much-needed spark in his debut season for a side lacking a potent striker.

Southampton had frustrated Manchester City in a 0-0 draw last weekend to ensure they will not end the season as the worst side in Premier League history.

However, they were undone just six minutes in as Ndiaye curled into the bottom corner to make sure there would be no spoiling the Everton party.

Beto found the net twice more but on both occasions had strayed offside before finishing off fine team moves.

Ndiaye’s quick feet did double the advantage for Moyes’ men just before the break as he rounded Aaron Ramsdale and slotted in his 11th goal of the season.

The second half of Everton’s 2791th game at Goodison will be quickly forgotten.

But the memories of a stadium referred to locally as the “Grand Old Lady” will live on for generations of supporters.

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Liverpool lose at Everton to leave Premier League hopes in ruins

Everton secured their first win in a Merseyside derby at Goodison Park since 2010 to leave Premier League title aspirations of Liverpool in ruins after a 2-0 defeat on Wednesday.

The defeat leaves Jurgen Klopp’s men still three points adrift of leaders Arsenal and only one point in front of defending champions Manchester City, who have two games in hand.

“We need a crisis at [Manchester] City and Arsenal and we need to win football games,” said Klopp of his side’s shot at the title with four games to go of his reign.

Goals from Jarrad Branthwaite and Dominic Calvert-Lewin took Everton eight points clear of the relegation zone.

The Toffees now look certain to extend their 70-year stay in the English top flight despite being deducted eight points on two charges of breaching financial rules.

Klopp had never lost on his previous eight visits to Goodison but his final taste of the Merseyside derby was a bitter one.

Hopes of a glorious goodbye for the German after a nearly nine-year tenure that has transformed the club’s fortunes are fading fast.

“If we play like today we have no chance to consider ourselves in the race,” said Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk.

“I think everyone has to look in the mirror and look at their performance and if they’ve given everything. Do they really want to win the league?”

According to reports, Feyenoord boss Arne Slot is being lined up as Klopp’s successor and the past few weeks have exposed weaknesses that need addressing in a huge summer for the Liverpool hierarchy.

The Reds have won just one of their last four league games and have also bowed out of the FA Cup and Europa League in recent weeks.

Klopp made six changes after resting a number of key players for Sunday’s 3-1 win at Fulham but did not get the response he desired.

Buoyed by their weekend win over Nottingham Forest to pull clear of the relegation zone, Everton are a side transformed from the one that went 13 Premier League games without a win between December and April.

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“Delighted with the performance of our players and delighted for the Evertonians,” said Everton boss Sean Dyche.

“They’re a good side, we know that. The commitment and energy from us had to be there.”

Slow starts have been a recurring factor as Liverpool’s quest for four trophies has unravelled.

Everton thought they had a penalty in the opening minutes when Calvert-Lewin was tripped by Alisson Becker but VAR intervened to save the visitors as the striker was offside.

Alisson then clawed away a Calvert-Lewin header and Ben Godfrey nodded wide as Liverpool struggled to cope with Everton’s threat from set-pieces.

More comical defending from the Reds led to the opener on 27 minutes.

Alexis Mac Allister’s mishit fell perfectly for Branthwaite and the defender’s effort went in off the post despite Alisson’s best efforts.

Going behind woke Liverpool from their slumber and only a combination of wasteful finishing and Jordan Pickford preserved Everton’s lead until half-time.

Darwin Nunez blasted straight at the England number one when clean through before the Uruguayan teed up Luis Diaz to fire too close to Pickford.

Mohamed Salah’s loss of form has come at the worst possible time for Liverpool’s title challenge and the Egyptian sliced another good opening well over the bar.

Liverpool were camped in the Everton half after the break, yet the hosts pulled further clear just before the hour mark from another dead ball.

Calvert-Lewin was afforded a free header at the back post to power home Dwight McNeil’s corner.

Liverpool’s night was summed up when Diaz’s powerful effort came back off the post with Pickford finally beaten.

But it was Klopp who was crestfallen come the final whistle as he looks set to depart Anfield with just one Premier League title to his name.

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