Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has downplayed his team’s chances of competing for the Premier League title this season, despite their 2-1 victory over Brentford on Sunday night at Stamford Bridge.
Goals from Marc Cucurella and Nicolas Jackson secured the win for the Blues, who are now just two points behind league leaders Liverpool, albeit with Liverpool having a game in hand.
The result puts Chelsea in a strong position in the standings, four points ahead of Arsenal in third place and seven ahead of Manchester City in fifth.
The weekend saw Chelsea gain ground as Liverpool drew 2-2 with Fulham, Arsenal played out a goalless stalemate with Everton, and Manchester City suffered a 2-1 defeat to Manchester United.
However, despite these favorable results, Maresca remained cautious about Chelsea’s readiness to contend for the league title.
Speaking after the match, Maresca was quoted by Fabrizio Romano, saying:
“For me, we are NOT ready. You can talk about the title and the fans can dream about the title… absolutely. If you ask me, I will tell you what I think. We’re not ready but we are happy the fans can dream.”
Chelsea’s recent performances have shown signs of improvement, but Maresca’s comments suggest the team still has work to do before being considered genuine title contenders.