The visit of Arsenal to Stamford Bridge on Sunday represents the latest checkpoint for how Chelsea are progressing under Enzo Maresca.
The two sides are level on 18 points in the Premier League, with the Blues narrowly above the Gunners on goal difference after an encouraging start to life under their Italian head coach.
Mikel Arteta’s side can point, though, to having put their squad through much more draining matches in Europe. They have faced the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan in the Champions League. Chelsea, by contrast, came up against Armenian minnows FC Noah in European competition’s third tier on Thursday, running out 8-0 winners.
Arsenal have also been hit much harder by injuries than Chelsea, so there are mitigating circumstances as to why it is Chelsea who have had things a little more plain-sailing this term.
With the Gunners five years further along in their project under Arteta than the Blues are under Maresca, Sunday's meeting between two of Pep Guardiola's disciples is a good chance for Chelsea to stress-test how far off the league’s best sides they truly are.
They can take real encouragement from their display at Anfield on October 20, when they dominated possession, had more shots on goal than league leaders Liverpool, and achieved a much higher rate of pass accuracy than their hosts too. And Chelsea’s first game of the league campaign was an even contest against Manchester City at Stamford Bridge which they lost 2-0.
Patently, the next stage for the Blues is to start taking results from these blockbuster clashes. A battered and bruised Arsenal side who come into the game on the back of defeats to Newcastle and Inter have shown themselves to be beatable.
Chelsea have been outscored in the league by only City and Tottenham so far this term, with Nicolas Jackson never having looked more full of confidence and Pedro Neto gradually beginning to assert himself as one of the club’s shrewder summer signings.
Much of what Chelsea can achieve rests on the ever-broadening shoulders of Cole Palmer, and that goes for Sunday’s clash with Arsenal too, should he feature after a recent injury concern.
If he is passed fit, it will be a huge boost for Maresca. If not, the Italian knows he presides over one of the Premier League’s deepest squads, and Joao Felix — who scored twice against Noah — appears the perfect like-for-like understudy in case Palmer is unavailable.
Up against an Arsenal side hellbent on returning to winning ways after back-to-back defeats, Chelsea arrive in fine fettle, knowing the next stage of their development is getting over the line and winning these sorts of games.
