Enzo Maresca believes that Chelsea are not in the right position to challenge Liverpool for the EPL title this season
Enzo Maresca said that his Chelsea side are “not ready” to challenge the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City for the Premier League title this season despite their recent form.
The Blues put on an impressive display last time out by putting three past Aston Villa on Sunday, with Nicolas Jackson, Enzo Fernandez and Cole Palmer all on target.
They have now lost just one of their last 14 home games in the Premier League (W9 D4), while their 10 total league home wins in 2024 is their most at Stamford Bridge in a calendar year since 2021 (also 10).
Chelsea’s latest win moved them up to third in the standings, but ahead of facing lowly Southampton on Wednesday, Maresca tempered expectations for the campaign last week.
“I do not agree with that. We are not ready to compete with Liverpool, Arsenal and City for many reasons. Because we win today, I am not going to change my idea. We are not ready for that,” Maresca said.
“The good thing is we are improving. Soon, hopefully, we can be there. On the other hand, there was a team that was fantastic. I consider [Unai] Emery a top manager; he’s won trophies everywhere and is doing something fantastic at Villa.
“For sure, we need to improve many things. We can attack better, we can defend better, but for me, what we need is that you need to live moments to get better.”
Russell Martin, meanwhile, believes his fringe Southampton players are ready to step up amid several key absentees for the visit of Chelsea.
The Saints ended a run of nine straight away Premier League defeats by drawing 1-1 with south coast rivals Brighton last Friday, avoiding a loss away from home in a top-flight game despite conceding the opening goal for the first time since January 2023.
However, that vital point came with a price, with Flynn Downes, Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Tyler Dibling picking up their fifth yellow cards of the season, meaning they will miss the game.
But Martin insisted that the players ready to make their mark in midweek have his full trust, as they aim to close the gap on the sides above them at the bottom of the table.
“We are probably without our five most consistent players, so we have to tweak and adapt. Am I kicking myself for playing three of our best players and getting a point away at Brighton? Absolutely not,” Martin said.
“Ryan Manning coming in from being not even on the bench and doing really well is an example. We have a big squad, but we knew all season we’d need everyone.
“You can go from being not on the bench to starting and that’s it. We have trust in the players coming in and trust in the shape because they have done it before.”
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