Chelsea news: Enzo Maresca owns up to mistakes as Cole Palmer 'misses' departed star

Following an alarming Premier League slump, Chelsea will attempt to get back on track when they host champions Liverpool on Saturday. Prior to Tuesday’s Champions League clash with Jose Mourinho’s Benfica, the Blues’ domestic form had nose-dived with a draw at Brentford followed by back-to-back defeats to Manchester United and Brighton.

In between, they scraped to a narrow 2-1 victory at League One Lincoln City in the Carabao Cup, despite naming a strong side. It’s a far cry from just a few months ago when the Blues were being crowned Club World Cup winners in the United States.

Next up, they face a Liverpool team that saw their 100 per cent winning start ended by Crystal Palace at the weekend. With Enzo Maresca’s side in the midst of a crucial spell that could shape their season, here’s a round-up of some of the biggest Blues talking points…

Maresca: I could have done better

The Blues’ league defeats to United and Brighton were both impacted by red cards. Robert Sanchez was sent off after just five minutes at United, while Trevoh Chalobah saw red early in the second half versus the Seagulls.

Maresca has done plenty of reflecting since those games, admitting he could have made better decisions. He said: “For sure, I think after reviewing the last two games, Man United and Brighton with 10 players, for sure I could have done better probably in terms of [my] decisions.

READ MORE: Jose Mourinho aims Man City jibe amid Chelsea homecoming and FA charges

READ MORE: Chelsea news: Double transfer hijack touted from under noses of Liverpool and Real Madrid

“No doubt, but also for me it's like a learning process to play with 10 players because I think for any manager it's not something normal.

“Unfortunately for us, it happened two times. And the stats is that in the last almost six months we lost five games, four of them with a red card. Newcastle, Flamengo, Man Utd and Brighton.

“And the only game that we lost 11 versus 11 was Bayern Munich away. So that's why I said for me personally, there is not any reason that we need to panic knowing that football is a crazy world.

“If you lost five games in six months and you need to say things to defend yourself, that means that it's a crazy world. So I don't think we need to defend ourselves in this moment because the reality is that I have a very good feeling with the squad we have.”

Striker available on the cheap

Chelsea have been linked with striker Dusan Vlahovic, who looks set to leave Juventus in January. Reports in Italy say the Blues, along with Man United, are monitoring the situation as the 25-year-old nears the end of his contract.

Vlahovic’s contract is due to expire at the end of the season. To avoid losing him for nothing, Juve are prepared to offload him during the next transfer window for a cut-price fee, which would also see them save around £10million in wages.

As well as Chelsea and United, AC Milan have also been credited with an interest in Vlahovic, who has scored four times this season.

Palmer 'missing' Jackson

The departure of Nicolas Jackson to Bayern Munich looked like an astute piece of business for Chelsea, but Paul Merson believes it was a big mistake. Joao Pedro and Liam Delap arrived in the place of Jackson, whose loan to Bayern Munich contains an obligation to buy him outright next summer.

While frustrating at times, he struck up a good understanding with Chelsea talisman Cole Palmer, who is missing the Senegal star, believes Arsenal legend and Sky Sports pundit Merson.

Speaking on Merson said: “I think Jackson was a bad sell, I really did. I thought Jackson made Palmer and Palmer made Jackson, as a centre forward. Put it this way, as a midfield player, you like to pass the ball, you want pace up front.

“It’s a dream, and he would always go and it would open the game up and Palmer would get on the ball, he’d have space. Now all of a sudden he’s gone.”

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.