Chelsea defender Thiago Silva has claimed that he is “certain” the Blues will be in the Premier League title race next season. It comes as Thomas Tuchel ’s men look certain to finish the campaign in third.
It could have been a much tenser end to the season for the club, who set the early stages of the season alight with some impressive displays. Chelsea had set the pace for the Premier League, but form dropped off come the new year.
The title chase had become a two-horse race, while the Blues turned their focus to other competitions and silverware. When discussing the dominating form of Liverpool and Manchester City, Tuchel hailed both back in March, saying: "The problem is they [City and Liverpool] are also on a run since a long time. They are like three years on a run. I have the feeling, it seems like they are three years on a run, and it’s like our 13 games is not enough."
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The summer transfer window should give the German coach time to change his squad in preparation for going even further next season. Many players have been linked with a move, while the squad needs to prove they can show consistency over a longer period of games.
However, with the campaign coming to a close, Silva has fired a warning to the rest of the Premier League that he is "certain" the Blues will be challenging for the title next season. Speaking to the Telegraph, he said: "I'm absolutely certain that we'll be in the fight for the Premier League. This year has been a great learning curve for us, we've made lots of improvements, and I believe in the group we have got here, I believe in the coaching staff and the project we are putting in place.
"Off the pitch, there have been issues at the club, but I don't think for one minute that's been an issue for us on the pitch. If we've not achieved what we wanted to, it's because the performances we've put in haven't been at the level that we would have hoped they would be."
The Brazilian recently signed a new deal that will keep him at the club until the end of next season, meaning his final actions could be lifting the title, should it work out that way. However, a lot of that will be determined by the work that is put in over the next few months in anticipation of next season.
