Chelsea defeated London rivals Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 last weekend thanks to a goal from Joao Pedro. However, the Blues are still only sixth in the Premier League.
The leaders Arsenal are already eight points ahead of Chelsea, which shows how far away Enzo Maresca's side is from challenging for the title. This is despite the vast sums of money spent on assembling Chelsea's roster.
Maresca won the Club World Cup last summer with Chelsea, where they defeated the Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain in the final. Many fans expected the Blues to push on from this, but they have not been able to replicate this form in English soccer's top flight as of yet.
The Italian coach had a great finish to last season, winning the Europa Conference League and qualifying for the Champions League. However, bosses at Stamford Bridge are not always given time, so his days at the club could be numbered.
Andoni Iraola of Bournemouth has been linked with replacing Maresca. Although the Spanish coach will be in demand. La Razon has published an article linking Iraola with his former club, Athletic Bilbao.
Could Andoni Iraola replace Enzo Maresca at Chelsea?
Iraola's Bournemouth are currently fourth in the Premier League, which is impressive given the players they lost last summer. Dean Huijsen joined Real Madrid, Milos Kerkez went to Liverpool, and Illia Zabarnyi signed for PSG. Despite losing these talented players, the Cherries have somehow managed to improve.
Taking the Chelsea job would be a gamble for Iraola, as he will not be guaranteed time at the club. He had a bad start to his Bournemouth career, where he did not win any of his first nine Premier League games in charge.
Iraola also has an emotional attachment to Bilbao, as he made over 500 appearances for them before ending his career in MLS with New York City FC. A move back to the Basque Country would be tempting for the Spanish coach.
Bilbao is currently managed by Ernesto Valverde, who is in the final year of his contract. They are currently 11th in La Liga, and could be a project where Iraola could really flourish. However, the ambitious move for him would be to Chelsea.
This is why Chelsea may need to move fast in securing the services of Iraola before he is snapped up by his former club. Stamford Bridge has never been a place for sentiment when it comes to changing coaches, so a brutal decision on Maresca's future could be on the cards.