Our head coach has been clear about setting high standards for the Blues throughout this season and his sights are set firmly on retaking a spot in the top four of the Premier League table by the conclusion of our campaign.

The next opportunity to do so comes as soon as this afternoon, when we travel away to Aston Villa in the Premier League with just a one-point gap in the standings compared to Manchester City, who currently occupy fourth position.

The pursuit of Champions League qualification is boosted by the fact Maresca and his squad are being supported by the tireless work of the Chelsea coaches and support staff.

That was a fact the Italian highlighted when speaking to the media ahead of the trip to Villa Park.

‘More than one month ago, I prepared a meeting with everyone in the building at Cobham – the kitchen people, the groundsmen, the kit men, everyone in the building,’ Maresca said.

‘I asked them to push until the end of the season because our target was to bring this club into the Champions League. There are many people in this building behind the scenes who work hard for us every day.

‘I said to the players in that meeting: “When I arrive here in the mornings at 7am, there are people here in the kitchen who are already cutting up your food. There are people here who you might not always see who are working hard every day to help you reach the target”.

‘I tried to highlight to them that there are people here who are working hard and we all need to push together to reach our target.’

Beyond that meeting, Maresca’s time at Chelsea since arriving as head coach in the summer has left him in no doubt that at Cobham and Stamford Bridge he has found likeminded colleagues who share his drive and ambition to achieve success at this club.

That mindset is something he has been building within the squad, as he knows only the best is good enough for a player or a coach at a club like Chelsea.

Maresca explained: ‘My ambition since I joined this club has been the same, to bring this club to where this club deserves to be. I have never lacked ambition. If you look at my background and history as a player or a coach, when I join I push teams to at least try to win. You are not always going to win, but at least you are trying.

‘The reason why I joined this club is because I saw a similar desire from the owners and the sporting directors. This club is not about surviving, this is a club where you need to win games and you need to fight for something important. The players have known the target since we started, on the first day.

‘This is not a club where as a manager or player you arrive and it is finished. When you arrive the most difficult part starts – to win games. As a Chelsea player, you need to win games. As the Chelsea head coach, you need to win games. I have tried to share this message since day one.’

Even with the whole club united behind them, it will not be easy for Maresca and his team to reach their goal this season. Our opponents have their own ambitions and are also working hard to achieve them, meaning matches will only get tougher the closer we get to the end of the season.

‘In our games from now on, every team is playing for a target,' Maresca said. 'Tomorrow, we face Aston Villa, who are fighting for Champions League qualification. On Tuesday it will be Southampton who are battling against relegation and then Leicester who are the same.

‘From now on, every game we are playing is against a team who have some target and it is not enough just to win the tactical battle. It is about the tactical part, plus the desire to win games and to finish in the right way.’