Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer were left laughing as they considered a U-turn on their initial doubts about Chelsea's Premier League title chances.
The Blues have emerged as one of the 2024/25 season's dark horses, positioning themselves firmly in the title race alongside Liverpool and Arsenal. Due to a high turnover of players in recent years, the low finishes in seasons gone by and with ex-Leicester boss Enzo Maresca at the helm in his debut season at Stamford Bridge, expectations were relatively low in west London.
Yet, the five-time Premier League title winners currently occupy second place in the table, although they missed the chance to at least temporarily leapfrog Liverpool at the top after a goalless draw with Everton on Sunday (December 22). Liverpool also opened up more of a gap on the same day after a thrilling encounter with Tottenham Hotspur that ended in a 6-3 win for Arne Slot's men.
Lineker and Shearer had previously dismissed Chelsea's title credentials months ago on their podcast, The Rest is Football. However, given the consistent performances from Maresca's side, the pair are now reconsidering their stance.
In a recent episode, Lineker asked Shearer and Micah Richards if Chelsea could clinch their first league title since 2017. The Newcastle United legend jokingly responded: "Not according to us three", referring to their earlier dismissal of Chelsea's title hopes, as they burst out laughing.
Lineker said: "I don't think many Chelsea fans tipped them at the start of the season to win the league." Shearer then continued: "In the position they're in, it's very difficult to turn around and say a definite no, I still think they'll have a little blip and I don't expect them to win it, but they're having an unbelievable season."
Richards then added: "Well \[Enzo\] Maresca said they can't win the league because of their defensive errors, I don't know if he's playing mind games here, is he using reverse psychology here, I like what he's doing, the team is performing."
The influence of the Italian manager is evident, with Noni Madueke echoing his sentiments by downplaying title race talks during an interview, insisting that the team is focused on self-improvement.
Enzo Maresca has made some brilliant changes at Stamford Bridge (Image: Crystal Pix/MB Media/Getty Images)
Speaking to the BBC, the England winger said: "I don't even know what that is. I don't think so. We are just competing with ourselves, trying to improve and be better every day.
"For that title race talk, what in December? I am not indulging in that. The race hasn't even started. If I had a crystal ball, I'd tell you, but I don't have a crystal ball, so I don't know."