The past couple of months had been seamless for Chelsea before they hit a festive blip. That's the Sean Dyche effect.
The Blues seemingly unwavering momentum was stalled by Everton at Goodison Park before they were stunned by Fulham on Boxing Day. Enzo Maresca's hesitance surrounding title talk suddenly makes sense.
Despite their blip, Chelsea are well ahead of schedule. Sure, the title may be out of their reach this term, but a top-four berth was the club's primary goal and they've positioned themselves to achieved that during the second half of the season.
However, they must ensure their current dip doesn't drift into the realm of a malaise.
Here's how Maresca could line the Blues up at Ipswich for their final outing of 2024 on Monday night.
Chelsea predicted lineup vs Ipswich (4-2-3-1)
GK: Robert Sanchez - The jury has long been out on the Spaniard, but Sanchez has been one of Chelsea's better performers in recent outings. He's asserting himself as the club's number one.
RB: Malo Gusto - Reece James is back in training and perhaps ready for a return soon, but Gusto is likely to get the nod at right-back again on Monday.
CB: Tosin Adarabioyo - While the result was not the one he was after, Tosin performed well against his former club on Boxing Day and is a shoo-in to keep his place given Chelsea's injuries at centre-back.
CB: Levi Colwill - The England international still has plenty to learn, but he's proving that he can function as a cornerstone of Chelsea's backline for years to come. Availability is the best ability.
LB: Marc Cucurella - The agent of chaos has been one of the Premier League's best-performing left-backs this term, and he's starting to fancy himself in the final third. After scoring against Brentford, Cucurella came close to adding to his tally on Boxing Day.
CM: Moises Caicedo - Caicedo is the lynchpin of this Chelsea side and he's continued to operate at an incredibly high level in Romeo Lavia's absence. The midfield pair had struck up a superb relationship at the base of midfield before Lavia picked up another injury.
CM: Enzo Fernandez - Lavia's absence means Fernandez has greater defensive responsibilities, but Gusto's tendency to invert from right-back offers the Argentine attacking freedom.
RM: Noni Madueke - Maresca demands plenty from Madueke, who has enjoyed a productive season but was left out of Thursday's squad because of a "technical decision". Perhaps he'll be given the chance to prove a point at Portman Road.
AM: Cole Palmer - The nonchalant brilliance of Palmer opened Fulham's compact defensive structure up on Boxing Day, and he may well be tasked with bailing the Blues out against a deep-lying defence on Monday. No Chelsea player has scored more Premier League goals in a calendar year than Palmer (26 in 2024).
LM: Joao Felix - Maresca's preferred wingers have struggled to shine in recent outings, so there could be a return to the XI for Felix - an unused substitute on Boxing Day. The Blues could aim to overwhelm Ipswich via fluid rotations and combinations between the lines.
ST: Christopher Nkunku - Nicolas Jackson has been excellent this season, but some respite could do him some good. Nkunku has flattered to deceive in the Premier League thus far, but he may be given a chance to impress on Monday.
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