Enzo Maresca response speaks volumes as Chelsea set significant challenge ahead of Everton

Chelsea have not started December very well, with the Blues without a victory in their opening three matches, but Enzo Maresca is looking for a response from his team

Enzo Maresca was in no mood to reflect on personal achievements during his press conference on Friday afternoon. The Chelsea head coach had, moments before, been awarded the Premier League Manager of the Month trophy at the club's training base in Cobham.

When asked for his reaction to picking up the award for the Blues' results in November, Maresca responded: "We are in December now." That in itself speaks volumes about Chelsea's start to the month. After a dominant victory over Barcelona on November 25, and a spirited performance to draw 1-1 with Premier League leaders Arsenal just a few days later, things have gone downhill for the Blues.

A lacklustre performance at Elland Road saw Leeds United run away 3-1 victors over their long-time rivals, and just a few days later, Chelsea were unable to break down Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium in a game that finished goalless. The Champions League failed to offer any sweat release for Maresca and his men, who were a goal to the good against Atalanta, but ended up losing 2-1 thanks to a second-half showing that saw Chelsea make too many mistakes.

Maresca, though, is looking forward: "I think again it's these kinds of things [winning the Manager of the Month award], it's because you do the right things in terms of performance and results. For us, November was fantastic. December, we didn't start in the way we would like.

"Even if it's just one week ago, eight days ago, we played Leeds. So it is just three games in a row in one week that we didn't get results that we expect. But now focus on the next one."

The next one for Maresca and Chelsea is Everton at Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon. One of the Toffees' star players this season has been Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who moved to the Hill Dickinson Stadium over the summer transfer window, with Everton agreeing on a £28million deal with Chelsea.

Dewsbury-Hall, who has scored four goals and registered three assists in all competitions for his new club this season, was a bit-part player under Maresca last term. The 27-year-old midfielder managed to appear 36 times for the Blues across the course of the campaign, but only 13 of them came in the Premier League.

"I didn't have any doubt about Kiernan," Maresca said about his former midfielder. "I know that the more he is going to play, he is going to be better. But again, with us, he was good all season, working hard.

"The time that he played, he was doing well. But yeah, he has also good players, so the competition was a big competition for him. I have no doubt that in the moment that he was able to play more games, he was doing well."