Chelsea finished 2024 in disappointing fashion with back-to-back defeats against Fulham and Ipswich Town.
There was a silver lining, however, as Cole Palmer's goal in the 2-1 loss to the Cottagers saw Enzo Maresca's side break a phenomenal club record that was set under Carlo Ancelotti.
Palmer's strike was Chelsea's 135th of 2024, and meant Maresca's men finished the calendar year with an average of 2.41 goals-per-game across all competitions – which is the highest average in the club's history.
The previous record was set in 2010, when Ancelotti's Blues, led by the likes of Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, and Nicolas Anelka, managed 2.4 goals-per-game.
In that year, Chelsea scored 127 goals in 53 games, as opposed to the 135 they scored in 56 games in 2024.
Palmer's goal versus Fulham also saw the Englishman break a club record of his own.
The goal was Palmer's 12th of the season in all competitions for Maresca's side, and his 26th in the Premier League in 2024, which is the highest individual total Chelsea history.
The previous record was held by Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, who found the net 25 times in 2001 following his £15 million switch from Spanish giants Atletico Madrid.
Enzo Maresca reflects on poor end to 2024
Heading into the congested festive period, Chelsea had been flying under Maresca, who was appointed as Mauricio Pochettino's successor in the summer.
On December 21, the Blues were second in the table, trailing leaders Liverpool by just two points.
Three games, no wins, and two defeats later, however, and Maresca's side are now fourth in the table, two points behind surprise package Nottingham Forest and four behind Arsenal.
Maresca had been saying in the lead up to Christmas that his Chelsea team are too inexperienced to be considered Premier League title challengers just yet, and following the defeat to Ipswich, he reiterated his point.
“We expected this kind of moment during the season because we know this kind of moment belongs to football,” said the Italian coach, according to the Shropshire Star. "It is almost impossible to have a season where you don’t have a moment like now for us, but at the same time not one of us in this room expected us to be where we are now."
“This means and shows we are in the right direction, as I said many times, but also shows we are far from competing and consistency and to be there with the best teams in England," he added.
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