Enzo Maresca, for now, has his Chelsea back at least. Whether it will quieten down supporter protest in the medium term remains to be seen. This is about more than whether Chelsea can be a Champions League club again, even as this 4-0 win over Southampton temporarily put them back into the top four.
That in turn undid the effects of the Aston Villa defeat at the weekend, in the way that seems to keep happening in this season’s wide-ranging race for the top four. No one can seize the moment, so Chelsea aren’t alone there. The greater question is whether it will undo bigger concerns about Maresca’s team over the past few weeks, not to mention more profound questions over identity.
