Chelsea's Cole Palmer has downplayed the team's impressive start to the season, leaving fans in stitches with his candid reaction after their 3-0 victory over Aston Villa.
The Blues produced one of their finest performances this term on Sunday, comfortably dispatching Unai Emery's side.
Nicolas Jackson broke the deadlock, followed by Enzo Fernandez who added a second before the break. Palmer, the ex-Manchester City prodigy, not only assisted Chelsea's second but also scored a stunning goal from outside the box in the second half, cementing the win.
Chelsea now sit third place in the league, matching Arsenal on points and goal difference, but trail Liverpool by nine points. This has sparked discussions about whether Enzo Maresca's men are serious contenders for the title after several seasons away from the top.
Post-match, when quizzed about Chelsea's title challenge, Palmer quickly dismissed the notion with a wry expression, saying, "Nah, it is too early, man." His comment caused a stir on Match of the Day 2, with BBC host Mark Chapman remarking: "I loved Cole Palmer's face in that."
Social media was abuzz with laughter, as one user posted: "That look at the title contenders question. Palmer is one of a kind."
"But he's right *crying laughter emoji* title talk in December is way too early," another fan commented. A third added: "It's too early man. The face he made. Love him man. Real non PR guy."
Chelsea manager Maresca was unequivocal in his assessment of any title aspirations. According to the Italian, more time is needed.
He said: "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. For me, it's not about points or the table - it's about the process and the programme.
"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. 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."