Enzo Maresca has not overreacted to Chelsea's winless run, insisting such setbacks were always to be expected this early in his side's "journey".

Former Leicester City boss Maresca took charge at Stamford Bridge at the start of this season and looked to have quickly turned Chelsea into Premier League title contenders.

Yet a stretch of three matches without a win, drawing with Everton and losing to Fulham and Ipswich Town, has left the Blues 10 points behind leaders Liverpool, who also have a game in hand.

Chelsea have not lost three in a row in the Premier League since May 2023 and visit Crystal Palace on Saturday.

They are still in the Premier League's top four going into that match, though, and Maresca is content with the progress of a side who finished sixth last season and 12th the year before.

"No, we don't like to lose games or drop points, but it's not going to affect our journey as we all are aware during the season you are going to lose games," the Chelsea coach said.

"We finish the first part of the season, now starting the second part thinking we are going to win and lose, but important to improve game by game.

"This is a journey that started five or six months ago, not five or six years. Other teams started five or six years ago and now fighting to win the Premier League – we just started five or six months ago."

Chelsea were held to a 1-1 draw by Palace in the reverse fixture at Stamford Bridge, but they had won the previous 13 league meetings between the sides.