Chelsea currently sit second in the Premier League table, and are the closest current challengers to league leaders Arsenal.
Enzo Maresca’s side are just six points behind the Gunners, and face them in their next Premier League game at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea will hope Cole Palmer can feature after he has still not returned from his groin problem, however will need big performances from the likes of Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez to stand a chance.
Todd Boehly has still not seen the Blues in a real Premier League title race since he took over the side, despite the large amount of money spent on the playing squad in that time.
Tottenham Hotspur FC v Manchester United FC - Premier League
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Gary Neville doesn’t believe Chelsea have ‘great’ players
Gary Neville believes despite their position in the league, Chelsea are not the best challengers to Arsenal this season, actually saying they do not have great players in their squad.
He said: “That will be really interesting next week for Chelsea, and a good measure for them. I think what we’ll see with Chelsea during the season is they will win a lot of football matches, but they’ll be inconsistent. They’ll tease us, and they’ll get close, but then they’ll dip and drop points. That’s where we’ll see them move between 5th and 2nd.
Will Chelsea beat Barcelona in the Champions League?
“Champions League football, they’re trying to build something there, they’ve got a lot of young players, they’ve spent a fortune, it’s probably not happening as quickly as they wanted. I don’t think they’re anywhere near a team that can win the league yet, being honest with you. I think they look well short in a number of areas.
“They’re good. They’re not a great side, I don’t think they’ve got great players, and I think they’ll finish in the top four. Next weekend’s a real tough test, and that’s where you really find out about these kind of teams.”
Chelsea stars Cole Palmer and Moises Caicedo during the Club World Cup match against Fluminense.
Photo by Justin Setterfield – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
World champions Chelsea have certainly not delivered the results they would have liked in the Premier League up to now, but have been improving every season.
To say the Blues do not have great players is also wildly inaccurate. Palmer, Caicedo and Marc Cucurella are amongst the best in their position in the world.
All Chelsea can do is continue to prove their doubters wrong, with pundits still taking some convincing that their plan is going to deliver results.
Wins against Barcelona and Arsenal will go a long way to doing that, and will be on the agenda of Maresca over the next seven days.