Chelsea Excludes Itself from the Title Race
Arriving last summer from Leicester, Enzo Maresca stated that his team is a step behind Liverpool, Manchester City, and Arsenal.
Chelsea has been a bit of a surprise at the start of the season in England. After two chaotic seasons where they were far from the top positions, Chelsea is currently in third place after 12 matchdays. This is an achievement for the team, managed since last summer by Enzo Maresca. Despite a good start in charge of the Blues, the former assistant to Pep Guardiola firmly rejected the idea of Chelsea being a serious title contender. "No, I’ve repeated it several times," he bluntly replied at a press conference two days before facing Aston Villa. "I wish I could say otherwise, but that’s not the case. Arsenal is ahead of us, City is ahead of us, and Liverpool has also shown they’re ahead of us. The most important thing is to improve match by match, and then we’ll see."
A clear stance that aims to shed any pressure he didn’t choose but knows he’s capable of handling, having led Leicester to the Championship title last season. Moreover, Enzo Maresca insists on this message intentionally, as he explained. "When you think about it, City lost three consecutive matches but is still in second place. Arsenal is there. What Liverpool is doing is fantastic. For me, the reason isn’t found in the points or the ranking; it’s in the process. (Arsenal) five years together, (City) nine years together, Liverpool is different, but they haven’t changed much compared to before. It’s not the points or the ranking that matters, but the time spent together," defended the Blues manager.
Indeed, unlike the rivals he mentioned, Enzo Maresca arrived in London last summer, and Chelsea is marked by chronic instability in its squad, with 11 arrivals, as many departures, and 14 loans. This context undoubtedly impacts the cohesion of a team more accustomed to being at the top of the table, which could become crucial as the season progresses.
Far from focusing on the title race, the Italian coach is concentrating on what he can control: the progress of his group, which won last night in Heidenheim and leads the UEFA Europa Conference League, with Sunday’s match against Unai Emery’s team being their only horizon. The rest will come soon enough for the Stamford Bridge residents.
