Enzo Maresca has been asked about whether his team are in a title race after every game for the last month, and as the wins stack up, the denials get less and less convincing.
Now he’s even got in-house broadcaster Chelsea TV pushing him on it. After yesterday’s win over Brentford, Maresca continued to insist the Blues aren’t yet ready, and had a perfect illustration from the game as to why:
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Marc Cucurella red card.
A group of Chelsea players celebrate by the corner flag at Stamford Bridge. (Image: Chris Lee - Chelsea FC)
Enzo Maresca sits impassively as Chelsea thrash Southampton.
“It’s quite easy. No matter how many games we win, there are things that show me we’re not ready to compete for the title or to compete for something important,” Maresca explained.
“And if you see the goal that we concede – we’re two nil up, it’s 90 minutes in, a throw in to us… and we concede. A team with experience, that knows how to win games, they manage that ball in a different way.”
You can see Maresca speaking in the clip embedded here, with these quotes coming after 2 minutes:
Enzo Maresca in a full time interview with Chelsea TV.
Enzo Maresca in a full time interview with Chelsea TV.
Chelsea don’t have to be perfect – just better than the opposition
We’re inclined to agree – that moment is a perfect illustration of the flaws that still exist in this team. Even on this superb recent run of wins, there have been sloppy goals going in against us which will start to cost us if they keep happening.
Yesterday’s goal conceded was a particularly egregious one, as Maresca says. Given the game state when it happened, and the fact it came from our own team in possession. Some goals are screamers you can do nothing about – but this one was poor.
But let’s face it, the teams we’re competing with at the top aren’t perfect either – in fact Manchester City look broken, Arsenal are struggling to score from open play, and even Liverpool look to be slowing down as the fixtures start piling up.
Chelsea have their flaws – but are they any greater than those of their competition?