Jamie Carragher believes that Chelsea's back-line could cost them from winning the Premier League this season, despite explaining where Enzo Maresca has a clear advantage over Liverpool in what has become a surprise title challenge. The Blues could move to the top at the weekend as an unexpected charge continues.
With five wins in a row, Chelsea know that a sixth would move them above Liverpool and to the summit, albeit with Arne Slot's team holding a game in hand - and then playing shortly after Sunday's trip to Everton is finished. Tottenham host the Reds in the late match to follow.
After victories against Spurs and Brentford, Chelsea have opened a gap to Arsenal in third behind them as well as putting pressure on Liverpool, following last weekend's postponed Merseyside derby. Fulham then took a point at Anfield on Saturday to hand Chelsea the perfect opportunity to prove themselves as worthy contenders.
A largely convincing home display on Sunday evening saw Maresca's men go seven points clear of champions Manchester City in fifth, as well as nine ahead of Bournemouth one place lower, knowing that the buffer for Champions League qualification could be an extra berth outside the top-four. For now, though, Chelsea continue to look up the table rather than down it.
Maresca is keen to discount talk of winning the league in his first season, and Carragher can see why. "I still look at them and don't see a title-winning team in there," he said on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football.
"Just because when I look at the goalkeeper and the two centre-backs."
Chelsea do have the third-best defence so far, but are mid-table on expected goals against (xGA), indicating that they are outperforming to an unsustainable extent. It's the attack that has carried them, so far, as well as standout performances from goalkeeper Robert Sanchez at times.
The former Brighton shot-stopper has, also, come in for criticism for high-profile mistakes made at the same time. As Chelsea play an expansive form of football, it has left them exposed to conceding chances.
For Carragher, what he's seeing reminds him of something closer to home.
"The season where Liverpool came really close under Brendan Rogers [2013/14], they came from nowhere. No-one expected it, but they didn't have European football.
"I know Chelsea do, but they can put their second team out, and still win that competition. That is something that definitely puts them right in the race."
Referring to Chelsea's Conference League campaign, Carragher reckons that the ability to fully rotate in midweek will give Maresca a way to remain fresh while Liverpool are pushed in the Champions League. Such has been the ease of the group phase so far, most first-team players who feature regularly at the weekend have been left out of travelling squads entirely for matches.
For the trip to Kazakhstan last week to face Astana, Tosin Adarabioyo was the only senior player to also start at Brentford three days later. A selection of young players and goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen all made their bench, but were not used.
Chelsea are already through the knockout phase of the Conference League, while they will be able to rest players once more for Thursday's clash with Shamrock Rovers. Liverpool, meanwhile, are also through the next stage of the Champions League.
Come the back end of the campaign, though, and Chelsea's quality advantage over their competition will provide Maresca with more opportunities to keep things fresh than Slot, who will need the bulk of his main starting XI to play up to three times a week. For Chelsea, according to Carragher, that's their best chance at beating Liverpool in this season's title race.
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Chelsea flag prior the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final Leg One match between Chelsea FC and Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge. (Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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