Enzo Maresca issued Chelsea warning amid surprise sack verdict

Chelsea legend Joe Cole believes Enzo Maresca could soon face pressure from the Blues' hierarchy should the Italian fail to mount a title challenge this season.

The former Leicester City manager only arrived at Stamford Bridge last summer and enjoyed a productive debut campaign.

He secured the UEFA Conference League trophy, achieved a top-four finish and also claimed the FIFA Club World Cup. However, Cole believes that might not prove sufficient for the club's ownership this season.

• Enzo Maresca knows Joao Pedro reality after Sunderland loss as Chelsea handed crucial £30m boost
• Chelsea's £5million decision pays off as Jadon Sancho's career hits new low

Speaking to Paddy Power, he said: "This is season four under this ownership. There are two trophies, albeit new trophies that don't carry the same weight as a Premier League, an FA Cup, a Champions League, or even a League Cup.

"But they have delivered trophies, and they've restructured the whole club financially.

"This season, the expectation has to be for Chelsea to comfortably get into the Champions League position and mount a challenge in the league.

"I don't think the squad's strong enough to compete with Arsenal. I'm happy to go on record saying that now, they won't win the league.

"Chelsea needs to be comfortably in the Champions League and closer to the top of the league than they were last year for this season to be considered a success.

"And next season, they have to be winning the big trophies, because that would be five seasons into this project.

"You have to go with the owners, this is what they are, this is the restructuring of the club. Whether you like it or not, this is where it is at.

"I try and explain it with my best knowledge of how football clubs work, reading between the lines, because obviously the owners can't come out and go, 'Listen, we're not going gung-ho like we did before, trying to win these big trophies, because we've got to fit within a financial model.'

"They're not going to say that, because it's not a good soundbite. From what I understand, that's what they've had to do, and the club wasn't in a great position financially, so they've had to be a bit more clever with how they operate."

Chelsea have had a mixed start to the season thus far. The Blues have secured victory in four of their first nine matches, placing them ninth in the table ahead of this weekend's clash with London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

However, they have managed to advance to the quarter-finals of the League Cup and have made a promising start to their Champions League campaign.