Liverpool manager Arne Slot and ex-Real Madrid star Gareth Bale have both made similar predictions about the upward trajectory that Chelsea are on under Enzo Maresca
Gareth Bale
Gareth Bale has been impressed by Chelsea(Image: Getty Images)
Chelsea should be considered genuine contenders for the Premier League title in the upcoming season after winning the Club World Cup. The Blues beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 in the final to bank £97million in prize money and send a message to their rivals, with Gareth Bale among those to sing their praises.
Cole Palmer scored twice and set up new signing Joao Pedro to score the other in a stunning first half blitz of the Champions League winners. Enzo Maresca’s side finished fourth in the Premier League last season before winning the Conference League and Club World Cup.
They have bolstered their attack with the signings of Pedro, Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens and Estevao Willian this summer. And, after finishing the 2024/25 campaign strongly by winning 13 of their final 15 matches and lifting two trophies, they need to be taken seriously, according to former Tottenham and Real Madrid star Bale.
“I do not think they are far away at all,” Bale said on DAZN after their success in New Jersey. “Last season, they got to around Christmas, and everyone was talking about them being contenders. Obviously, they are a young team, and they kind of fell off, but I think they will learn a lot from that.
“They have shown character as a team to come back and win the Conference League, and now win this. I think confidence will be booming and they will have that self-belief now.”
His opinion is shared by Liverpool boss Arne Slot, who spoke about their potential after his side were beaten 3-1 by Chelsea in May. "I expected them to be a threat this season because at Anfield they were better than us,” Slot admitted. “They were so close to us. It was a complete surprise to me that we are now 19 points clear of them or something like that.
"I didn't feel that at all when we played them. That tells you how well we did, probably, if a team like this with so much quality, and also not only in the first XI, but in the complete squad, that we are able to be 19 points ahead of them is a big compliment for our players."
Chelsea
Chelsea were impressive at the Club World Cup(Image: Getty Images)
Chelsea defender Levi Colwill has put Chelsea’s Premier League rivals on notice. Asked whether they can win either the Premier League or Champions League in 2025/26, Colwill replied: "Yeah, definitely.”
He added: "I said at the start of this tournament that our plan is to win it and people looked at me as if I was crazy. So I'm going to say the exact same thing now going into the Premier League and Champions League.
"This is the biggest trophy I've ever won. I think the Club World Cup will be bigger than the Champions League and we were the first team to win it.
"It was a statement victory and, in the future, if we keep winning trophies then everyone will give us the love that we deserve. But we'll only know that in the future. I think we're ready and we'll see next season."
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