Comparing Chelsea to Liverpool, Arsenal or Manchester city at the moment is like a mockery in my opinion. It's savagery linking Chelsea with title race despite their bit of improvement. Arsenal and Manchester city are in balance now with their key players injured but I still don't see Chelsea near them in term of performance. When we talk about squad depth, of course Chelsea is up to the task but when performance is involved, they're completely out of discussion when these three clubs are being mentioned.
Maresca is not yet getting his team selection properly or perhaps he's playing favoritism card and if that's the case, he will not go far managing Chelsea. Imagine having someone like Felix in your squad but always keeping him on the bench even when he might have impact on the game.
Though you might be right, but there is always room for improvement. Chelsea may not currently be at the same level of Liverpool and Arsenal, but you can see that they have shown sign of progress under Enzo Maresca. Chelsea has the potentials to reach the current standard of Liverpool and Arsenal. As for Enzo Maresca's decision to bench João Félix might be due to his tactical preference, perhaps Félix style of play doesn't allign perfectly with the system the manager is trying to implement.
Additionally, changes like this takes time.new coaches often experiment with lineups and strategies to find the perfect balance. Chelsea fans should be patient as maresca continues to build a squad capable of competing at the highest level.