Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca speaking
Enzo Maresca doesn't see Chelsea challenging for the title this season
Enzo Maresca insists that Chelsea are NOT in contention for the Premier League title despite moving level on points with Arsenal.
The Blues continued their resurgence under Maresca with a commanding 3-0 win over Aston Villa courtesy of goals from Nicolas Jackson, Enzo Fernandez and the irrepressible Cole Palmer to climb into third place.
Liverpool remain clear at the summit after beating Manchester City and Arsenal are now widely seen as the team most likely to compete with them for the domestic crown with Pep Guardiola's side now 11 points adrift.
Chelsea have defied all expectations under their new head coach in the early weeks of the season after a difficult 2023-24 campaign. But while they may be ahead of schedule in terms of their path under Maresca, he says it is still too soon to include them in the title race.
[
Sky Sports apologise for Chelsea vs Aston Villa issues as David Jones immediately blunders](https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/breaking-chelsea-villa-sky-sports-34224781)
When he was asked if Chelsea were title contenders on Sunday, he responded: “No. I’ve said many times I don’t like the pressure. I don’t like to say, ‘Yes, we’re there,’ because we’re not there.
“Arsenal are ahead of us, City are ahead of us, Liverpool are showing they’re ahead of us. The important thing is that we improve game after game, and then we’ll see.”
Manchester City's current malaise has seemingly opened up the title race, with Pep Guardiola's side now winless in SEVEN after falling to defeat at Anfield.
Join the debate! Where do you think Chelsea will finish this season? Let us know here
Cole Palmer celebrates
Cole Palmer scored a screamer in Chelsea's impressive 3-0 win over Aston Villa
But Maresca isn't counting his chickens yet and is more concerned with Chelsea's own progress on the pitch than keeping an eye on the league table.
“For me, it’s not about points or the table - it’s about the process and the programme,” the Chelsea chief continued. “Arsenal have been together for five years, City for nine. Liverpool are different, but they haven’t made many changes from before. It’s not just about the points on the table; it’s about the time spent together.”
He added: “You have to be realistic. You can see the difference between us and the rest at this moment. That doesn’t mean we won’t compete and win games. We will do that until the end. The main focus has to be the feeling that we’re improving game after game.”
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.