Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has rejected claims from Chelsea counterpart Enzo Maresca that the Blues cannot yet be seen as genuine contenders for the Premier League title.
Sunday’s crunch London derby will see league leaders Arsenal visit a Chelsea side who have climbed up to second in the Premier League standings and are riding the high of a huge 3–0 victory over Barcelona in midweek.
On their return to domestic action, Chelsea will look to close a six-point gap to an Arsenal side widely hailed as the leading contenders to win the Premier League title.
Maresca: Too Early to Tell Whether Chelsea Can Compete
Chelsea’s ambitions for the 2025–26 season are not believed to be so lofty—publicly, at least.
The Blues are aiming to consolidate their spot in the Premier League’s top four, rather than establish themselves as immediate contenders, and Maresca insisted his side should not yet be viewed as genuine title hopefuls.
“It’s too early in any case if we win or don’t win [against Arsenal],” Maresca responded when asked about Chelsea’s title hopes. “It’s November, there’s five or six months to go.
“It’s important where we are [in the table] in February and March and we’ll see if we can achieve something important.”
Maresca continued: “It’s another big game. We finished the one against Barça with a good feeling. If it’s bigger than the last one, I don’t know. For me they’re all important.
“It’s a nice feeling but it’s three points. Then we have Leeds which is three points in the same way.
“The mindset and mood are very good. We are doing good in the Premier League and Champions League. It’s a good feeling that we can see we’re improving and growing. We need that environment, the fans the way they were [against Barcelona]. It’s always nice to share that kind of moment at the end of the game with everyone.”
Arteta: Chelsea Deserve Status As Title Contenders
While Maresca was keen to downplay Chelsea’s ambitions, Arteta happily heaped praise on Arsenal’s London rivals by insisting the Blues are deservedly towards the top of the Premier League standings.
“I think we are all there, and they are there because they fully deserve what they have done in the last few years,” Arteta reflected.
“I think the squad that they assembled, the numbers that they have, the quality that they have, the number of coaches they have, it makes sense that what is happening there is very, very positive and they deserve to be there.”
After Arsenal beat Chelsea 1–0 when these two sides met in March, Arteta named Maresca’s side as “the best attacking team in the league,” and he remains impressed by Sunday’s opponents.
“They were [the best last season], the sample now this season is early so it’s difficult to say,” Arteta said when asked if he stands by his statement.
“But it is one of the teams that I enjoy the most watching and they have a lot of fluidity, they have a lot of threat, they have a lot of individual talent. They are very clear what they want to do and that’s why they are very tough.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Mikel Arteta, Enzo Maresca Clash Over Premier League Title Race Ahead of London Derby.
