The Liverpool legend believes the Blues will be a major test for Chelsea on Sunday at Goodison Park
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Jamie Carragher speaking on Monday Night Football
Jamie Carragher speaking on Monday Night Football
Jamie Carragher believes Chelsea are in the title race this season but thinks Sunday's clash with Everton will reveal plenty about their credentials. After years of lavish spending, Chelsea have finally clicked into gear this term under Enzo Maresca and could go top of the table briefly if they were to win at Goodison Park.
They go into the weekend fixtures two points behind Liverpool having played a game more.
Speaking on Monday Night Football, former Reds defender Carragher gave his verdict on their prospects of going all the way. "They are in a title challenge. There is no doubt about that. I don't personally think Chelsea will win the league this season,” Carragher said. "I just think at centre-back and goalkeeper Arsenal and Liverpool are still stronger in that area.
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"I think you definitely need a really top goalkeeper and two centre-backs if you are to win a league title. I might be proven wrong, I hope I'm not."
Everton will naturally be keen to halt Chelsea's recent form. The Blues have picked up four points from their last two games and have made improvements defensively, with the 0-0 draw at Arsenal last time out one of their best performances of the campaign.
Chelsea's recent record at Goodison has been poor - Everton have won five of the last six games between the two sides on Merseyside - and Carragher believes the match will be a big litmus test for Maresca's team.
"I think next weekend's game is really important [at Everton]," he said. "You might say Chelsea are at the top of the league, Everton are at the bottom. But when I look at the things that worry me about Chelsea in terms of winning the league, in terms of a goalkeeper and maybe two centre-backs, Goodison Park is the type of place where something like that will show up.
"Now if they can go to Goodison you keep a clean sheet and you win, you think, 'oh, okay', that's one of those results where you know they're near the bottom but that's a tough place to go.
"If your goalkeeper is not at it or your centre-backs are not at it - set-pieces, Everton, tight pitch you can come a cropper there."
The match could hold extra significance for Everton too, with the takeover by The Friedkin Group expected to be finalised before the weekend's game.