Mind games in press conferences are nothing new.
At this point, supporters should be so accustomed to this strategy that they take anything Premier League coaches utter with a massive grain of salt.
Sadly perception still rules over logic and reality. Top coaches know that media engagements enable an opportunity to set their own agenda as well-trained press officers sit next to them, hoping for the most sanitised quotes possible.
Pep Guardiola was quite clearly going down this route when labelling Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea as the best in the world.
I would like to assume those at Stamford Bridge are not taking his words too literally and his coaching peer Tuchel if pressed would calmly swat them away.
When asked about whether his imperious City side is the best in world football currently he sharply replied.
"No. The best team is Chelsea. They won the Champions League."
There is also the reality that a win against Palmeiras on Saturday would make Chelsea the Club World Cup champions, a feat they have yet to clinch after defeating City in the Champions League final last May.
But beyond the obvious psychology of Pep talking down lavish praise on his players, Chelsea cannot allow a potential Club World Cup success or last season's Champions League triumph to mask their deficiencies in the Premier League.
There is a high likelihood when Thomas Tuchel's men return to league action at Selhurst Park on the 19th they will be 16 points behind Guardiola's City.
Although with a game in hand, this should quickly bring into perspective the gap between Chelsea and the league's outstanding team since 2017.
The Champions League triumph was astonishing. One of the greatest nights in the club's history and one that fans should rightly cherish for a lifetime. Though what it should not do is allow a level of complacency and arrogance to set in.
Being dominant in the Premier League is what all of Chelsea's greatest teams strive for. It's the bread and butter, the true measuring stick of the quality of a squad over 38 games.
The power of the European Cup has evoked an emotional response from me that is unmatched by any of our title wins. The mere thought of experiencing that again in the next decade would be something a lot of us would place before a title.
But if you pose the question: what is the greatest Chelsea team? Neither the 2012 team nor the 2021 outfit comes close to the five Premier League-winning squads under Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti and Antonio Conte.
The 2004/05 Chelsea squad assembled by Mourinho is the pure benchmark of Stamford Bridge excellence. The two European Cup triumphs salvaged seasons that domestically had gone off the rails, leading to pretty underwhelming conclusions.
For all Chelsea fans may laud the European Cup win over City supporters, winning four out of five league titles is something Roman Abramovich should be striving towards under Tuchel.
City are too good not to eventually lift a European Cup. And it shouldn't be forgotten that it took almost a decade under Abramovich's ownership to finally bring one back to west London.
Guardiola's comments are a sign of how quickly Chelsea have moved forward under Tuchel. The Champions League success proves what can be reached with him in the dugout but reaching the summit of English football once more is the true gauge of any great side.
This season could still bring more silverware back to Chelsea's bulging trophy cabinet but closing that gap should still remain the top priority heading into next season.
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