“Won’t Be Too Far Down The Line” – Steven Gerrard Predicts When Chelsea Will Be Genuine Title Challengers
Ex-Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is backing his former teammate Xabi Alonso to “challenge” for the Premier League title during his time in charge of Chelsea.
Speaking on The Overlap (in association with Sky Bet), Gerrard said that he doesn’t believe the Blues will trouble Arsenal (and Manchester City) this campaign, but it won’t be long before they are competing for top spot:
“I would say they just fall a little bit short [this season], but it’s a good time for Chelsea, for their fans, looking forward. There’s tons of good players in there.”
“If they can keep recruiting well and improving personnel, I think with Xabi (Alonso) and his team, it won’t be too far down the line when they challenge. But I think this year might be a bit too soon.”
What are the odds of Chelsea winning the title this season?
Alonso’s team are rank outsiders for 1st place as things stand, with bookmakers pricing them between 10/1 and 12/1. Opta has given the Blues a 1.09% chance of ending the season as champions.
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The defeats to Arsenal and Brentford so early on in the campaign have clearly dented confidence among punters and statisticians that Chelsea are the real deal.
Gerrard believes the defence remains the Achilles heel
The former England international expects Chelsea to “blow 70/80% of the league away” with their firepower up front, but he has questioned whether they have “enough” at the opposite end to truly challenge.
Moises Caicedo’s return to full fitness is expected to redress the balance somewhat. The Blues did concede against Bournemouth last weekend, but the Ecuadorian was praised for his performance in the middle of the park.
If they can keep him fit for the majority of the season, Alonso’s side will have a much better chance of keeping clean sheets and consequently winning games.