Gary Neville has agreed with Enzo Maresca and believes that Chelsea are NOT in the Premier League title race, despite their impressive start to the season. The Blues sit third in the table - level on points with second-placed Arsenal and nine behind leaders Liverpool ahead of Wednesday night's trip to Southampton.
Speaking during his pre-Saints press conference, head coach Maresca knocked back claims that Chelsea could be surprise title challengers - though insists his side are capable of 'dominating English football' over the next five to ten years. The Italian seemed to temper expectations on his side, who could move up to second with victory at St. Mary's, depending on the result of Arsenal's clash with Manchester United.
And former United and England defender Neville has shared the same view as Maresca, and doesn't think Chelsea are going to fight for the title alongside Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool.
Asked whether Chelsea are in the title race, Neville said on The Overlap's US It's Called Soccer: "No they're not and, to be honest with you, I heard Maresca's answer [regarding Chelsea’s title chances] and I thought two things about that.
"One was, well done, you've got to lower expectations, because they're not going to win the league. I genuinely don't believe they are. But then there is an element of, to be fair, that it could be a mad season where you never know what's going to happen and should he leave the door open a little bit?
"At this moment in time, obviously, Liverpool are big favourites, but I can't believe they're not going to hit a bad patch at some point, I can't believe it’s 13 games in and we're only a third of the season gone."
Although Neville admitted that Liverpool are firm favourites, he reckons the table can be 'misleading' - and that Arsenal could close the gap to the leaders in the coming weeks.
"There's this stat that has come out that every team that has been this far out in front at this stage of the season has always gone on it win the league," Neville added.
"So it's almost like; 'Right, it's a guarantee that Liverpool are going to win the league'. However, there are many times after 15 or 20 games where teams have been this far in front and they've lost the league.
"It's a point in the season whereby this is one of the highest leads anyone has ever had, at this point of the season, so every team that has been in this position has always won the league so Liverpool, in everyone's mind now, must win the league.
"But the likes of Newcastle, Manchester United, Arsenal, I think in the past have been this far in front or have had big points leads with 12, 15, 18 games to go and lost the league from positions that are obviously further down the line.
"I do think it's a little bit misleading at this moment in time. I do think Liverpool are strong favourites, but I do think they'll hit a bad patch, Arsenal will go on a run, that gap will narrow and we’ll see what happens."
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