Despite Liverpool sitting at the top of the table after winning five of their first six matches, Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca notably excluded them from the title conversation when discussing his team’s prospects this season.
Speaking at Friday’s pre-match press conference, Maresca focused on the usual contenders and the usual title pretenders, emphasizing the past success of teams finishing at the top in recent seasons.
Liverpool currently hold a one-point lead over Manchester City and Arsenal, and are two points clear of fourth-placed Chelsea, who have had a strong start to the season with four wins from their opening six games. Chelsea also boasts the league’s highest-scoring attack, netting 15 goals so far.
What the Chelsea boss thinks about the title run
Despite Chelsea’s recent form, Maresca has dismissed his team’s chances in the title race, and by extension, ruled out Liverpool as well because the Italian believes that coaches need time to get used to the team. During Friday’s pre-match press conference via Youtube, he stated, “I don’t believe we can compete with City or Arsenal. We’re simply not ready for that.”
He explained further:
“City have had the same manager for nine years, and Arsenal for five. To challenge for major honours, you need that kind of time.”
While Arne Slot has had a brilliant start to his Liverpool tenure, he’s only been at Anfield for three months. This could explain Maresca’s reasoning, but it seems unfair to dismiss Liverpool entirely, especially considering their strong start this season and the fact they still boast a formidable squad, despite finishing third in the Premier League last season.
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Next up for the Reds is a trip to face Crystal Palace in Saturday’s early kick-off, where another three points would temporarily open up a four-point gap over Man City and Arsenal prior to their home games with Fulham and Southampton, respectively.
