Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has been quick to downplay his team’s title chances at every opportunity, but based on their performances this season, the Blues are firmly in the hunt.
The Italian took over at Stamford Bridge in the summer, succeeding Mauricio Pochettino, who had guided Chelsea to a sixth-place finish last season. Expectations were modest for Maresca, given his limited managerial experience - just 57 senior games prior to his appointment.
However, the former Leicester boss has steadily proven the doubters wrong. He has earned widespread praise not only for Chelsea’s impressive displays on the pitch but also for his adept handling of an oversized squad - a challenge many had labelled as making the Chelsea job "impossible."
The Blues are now just four points behind leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand, after Maresca’s side came back from 2-0 down to win 4-3 at Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend.
Despite closing the gap on the Reds and opening up a two-point cushion over Arsenal in third, Maresca still refused to label his team as title contenders.
"We are not ready [to win the title]. We are far from these teams [Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City],” he said.
"After the game, my message to the players was to be focused day by day, in the next game, because if you start to think about where we are in three or four games, it’s completely wrong."
While the 44-year-old is right to manage expectations—considering the season has yet to reach its halfway point—he may soon have to acknowledge that Chelsea are genuine contenders for the Premier League title if their current trajectory continues.
The Blues are unbeaten in the league since their October 20 loss at Liverpool and currently boast the longest active winning streak in the competition, with four consecutive victories. They have also excelled on the road, winning eight of their last 10 away league matches. With 19 points earned away from home—two more than Liverpool—Chelsea lead the league in away form this season.
Although they have fallen short against Manchester City and Liverpool, Chelsea have shown they can hold their own against tough opponents. They’ve picked up valuable points against the likes of Spurs, Arsenal, Newcastle, Aston Villa, Brighton, and Manchester United.
A key factor in Chelsea’s early success under Maresca has been his ability to implement his distinctive style of play from the outset. With over €1.08 billion spent by the club’s owners across the past four transfer windows, Maresca had no shortage of talent at his disposal to execute his deep build-up strategy - designed to beat the high press with short, controlled passing from the back.
While having a wealth of talent readily available has undoubtedly made Maresca’s job easier, the speed at which he has stamped his identity on the team still deserves recognition. By contrast, Erik ten Hag, despite spending over £600 million during his tenure at Manchester United, struggled to implement his style of play even after two and a half years in charge.
Maresca has also benefited from having one of the league’s standout performers, Cole Palmer, firing on all cylinders. The 22-year-old was instrumental once again at the weekend against Spurs, scoring twice and playing a key role in another, bringing his tally to an incredible 50 goal involvements (33 goals, 17 assists) in just 48 Premier League games.
Only Manchester City’s Erling Haaland (39 games), former Newcastle striker Andy Cole (43) and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah (46) have reached that milestone in fewer matches for a single club in the competition.
Palmer’s 11 league goals this season, combined with a much-improved Nicolas Jackson - who has netted eight times - have powered Chelsea’s attack. With the league’s highest tally of 35 goals, six more than Arsenal and Liverpool, the Blues have gone full throttle in front of goal. They’ve also created 53 big chances, second only to Liverpool’s 57.
This attacking potency, coupled with Enzo Fernandez and Moisés Caicedo’s growing assurance and robustness in midfield, has made Chelsea one of the Premier League’s standout teams this season.
What’s holding them back?
Despite their attacking and midfield improvements, Chelsea remain vulnerable defensively. Goalkeeper Robert Sánchez, in particular, has been prone to costly errors.
Under Pochettino last season, the Blues conceded 63 goals, and defensive fragility continues under Maresca. In 15 Premier League matches this season, they’ve already conceded 18 goals - more than Arsenal and Liverpool.
No team has won the Premier League while conceding more than a goal per game on average since Manchester United in 2012-13.
Arsenal boast the world-class partnership of William Saliba and Gabriel, while Liverpool have the rock-solid Virgil van Dijk at the back. Chelsea, however, lack such defensive stability.
Levi Colwill, Wesley Fofana, Benoît Badiashile, and Axel Disasi have all featured this campaign, but none have emerged as a commanding, standout defender capable of leading the team to a title.
Sánchez has been particularly error-prone, making costly mistakes in key moments. He was at fault for both goals conceded against Brighton, gave away a penalty at Manchester United, struggled to stop Curtis Jones’ winner at Anfield and was beaten too easily at his near post against Arsenal.
His distribution, a crucial aspect of Maresca’s system, has also been shaky, and he has already committed three errors leading to goals this season - second only to Ipswich Town’s Arijanet Muric (four).
This defensive frailty does not align with the profile of title winners. However, Chelsea’s prolific attack might mitigate these issues, at least for now. Still, if they hope to remain in the title race, tightening their defence will be critical as the season progresses.
The road ahead
Despite their flaws, Chelsea are well and truly in the running for the title. In fact, you could argue they are playing as well as anyone in the league right now, including Arsenal and Liverpool.
With their next seven matches all against teams outside the top six, the Blues have a golden opportunity to extend their blistering form and pile the pressure on Liverpool.
Maresca may continue to downplay Chelsea’s chances, but make no mistake: this team is a serious contender.
