Enzo Maresca continues to insist Chelsea is not in the title race this season. But in five to 10 years? He believes his side can dominate English soccer.
"Because of the age, and because of how good the squad is, for me Chelsea in the next five to 10 years will be one of the teams, or the team, that is going to dominate English football," Maresca said in his press conference prior to Chelsea's game vs. Southampton.
"This is what I said to the club the first time I met them, no matter who will be the manager. And I still think exactly the same," he added.
Chelsea's improvement under Maresca hasn't gone unnoticed. At this point last season, the Blues were 10th in the Premier League standings with nine fewer points than what it's achieved so far this term. After finishing 12th and sixth in the first two years under the Todd Bohely-Clearlake Capital ownership, the team looks destined to seriously fight for the UEFA Champions League places this season.
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Furthermore, Maresca's beliefs are rooted in the strategy the new ownership group evidently were keen on implementing upon arrival. Much has been said over the past two years about Chelsea's plan of signing a large amount of young players to long term contracts. Slowly, that vision is beginning to take shape.
Through 13 Premier League games, Chelsea fielded the 13 youngest lineups on average age in the competition. The average age of Chelsea's combined starting lineups this season is 23 years and 212 days, over two years younger than Bournemouth in second. The Blues are on pace to become the youngest squad ever over the course of a Premier League season, a record set by Leeds United in the 1999–00 term. 27-year-old center back, Tosin Adarabioyo, is the oldest player Chelsea has utilized in a league game this season.
The young players that have arrived at Stamford Bridge over the past two years are starting to come into their own. Clear signs of the squad's potential have been on display this season, as the team currently sits third, equal on points with Arsenal and ahead of reigning champions, Manchester City.
With the majority of its young core tied to the club on long-term deals, Chelsea has time for the squad to reach its full potential. Only time will tell whether Chelsea do end up dominating English soccer, but on the surface Maresca's assessment doesn't seem to be unfounded.
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