Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has conceded his side are not in the running to win the Premier League title despite a strong start to the season.
The Blues sit third in the table after 12 games with six wins, four draws and two losses (which both came to the only two teams above them).
According to the best football betting sites, Chelsea are priced at 20/1 to win the league this season as they sit nine points adrift leaders Liverpool and one behind Manchester City.
Maresca, who replaced Mauricio Pochettino and joined the west Londoners in June after guiding Leicester City to promotion from the Championship, denied the notion his team are in a title race.
“No. I said it many times. I really like the pressure. I’d like to say: ‘Yes, we’re there’ – but we’re not there. It’s nice to see the team improving, that is important; it is nice, a good feeling.
“At the same time, you need to be realistic and you can see the difference between us and the rest at the moment. This doesn’t mean we’re not going to win games and not compete until the end, but the main focus has to be the feeling we’re improving game after game.”
WATCH: Enzo Maresca dismisses Chelsea’s stake in the title race ahead of Aston Villa clash
"We are not there, Man City, Arsenal and Liverpool are ahead of us" 👀
Enzo Maresca says Chelsea are not in the title race 🔵 pic.twitter.com/G0N0WZkylW
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) November 29, 2024
Chelsea seeking to extend five-game unbeaten streak vs Aston Villa
Chelsea host European high-flyers Aston Villa in the English capital on Sunday – and if they can avoid defeat they’ll make it six games unbeaten in a row.
The five-time champions haven’t beaten Villa in the Premier League since October 2022 and they’ve lost both of their previous two league games at Stamford Bridge against the Villans.
Villa’s European hangover has saw their form dip slightly in the league, winning just five of 12 so far this season and they haven’t won a game in all competitions in over a month.
