Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
SportsCasting
SportsCasting
James Lloyd

Premier League Title Race: Maresca says Chelsea "are not ready"

Chelsea Enzo Maresca EPL Brentford

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has maintained his stance that the Blues are not in a Premier League title race this season, despite his team’s impressive form.

The Italian boss reiterated his point after Chelsea’s 2-1 victory over Brentford, which keeps them firmly in second place in the league table.

Chelsea’s Strong Start Under Maresca

The Blues have won 10 of their first 16 Premier League matches under Maresca, leaving them just two points behind league leaders Liverpool, who also have a game in hand.

With Manchester City and Arsenal both struggling, there has been talk that Chelsea might be poised to challenge for the top spot.

However, Maresca has downplayed these suggestions, emphasising that his squad is still in a rebuilding phase. Despite their recent results and performances, he believes Chelsea are not yet equipped to compete at the level required to win the title.

Maresca: “We Are Not Ready”

In his post-match comments, Maresca explained why he feels Chelsea are not in the title race, highlighting defensive lapses as a key area for improvement.

“No matter how many games we win, I think we are not ready to compete for the title,” he said. “One of the reasons why is that the team that knows how to compete to win titles, they won’t concede goals we concede.

Referecning Bryan Mbeumo’s late consolation goal for Brentford, which stemmed from a Chelsea throw-in, Maresca said, “A team that knows how to win titles – that is not a goal they know how to concede.”

Despite being one of the league’s better defensive units—only two teams have conceded fewer goals than Chelsea—Maresca stressed that there’s room for improvement.

“Defensively, we’re not doing bad,” he noted. “We’d like to end with a clean sheet, but there’s another team trying to score.”

Chelsea will turn their attention to European competition next, as they face Shamrock Rovers in the Europa Conference League on Thursday.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Gen Z’s politics are hard to categorize – and a harbinger of a new political order
The great clashes to come will be less between left and right than between those inside and outside a dying establishment
The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Bianca Jagger feels 'empowered' in suits
Bianca Jagger was always drawn to wearing suits because she wanted to feel "powerful" like her father.
BANG Premier
BANG Premier
‘A long-distance hug’: readers and gen Z on the joy – and expense – of sending Christmas cards
Sales of Christmas cards are down as soaring price of stamps means many people opt for digital festive greetings
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Interactive: What Earth’s 4.54 billion-year history would look like in a single year
As a kid, it was tough for me to grasp the massive time scale of Earth’s history. Now, with nearly two decades of experience as a geologist, I think one of the best ways to understand our planet’s history and evolution is by condensing the entire timeline into a single…
The Conversation
The Conversation
Saturday Night Live: Martin Short delivers a star-packed festive treat
The actor joins the five-timers club in a funny and cameo-filled episode that features some of the season’s funniest moments so far
The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Messiness & the allure of Fleetwood Mac
A new book about Fleetwood Mac covers the dramatic soap opera — and the songs that made the band legends
Salon
Salon
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play