Enzo Maresca plays down Chelsea’s Premier League title hopes with message to the club’s owners after strong start to the 2024-25 campaign

Enzo Maresca has been quick to pour cold water on their Premier League title hopes this term, which come after a perhaps unexpectedly strong start to the campaign. 

Following two seasons of inconsistency and uncertainty at Stamford Bridge – under Graham Potter, Frank Lampard and Mauricio Pochettino – Maresca appears to have turned a corner in west London. 

His Chelsea side are currently level on points – and indeed have an identical record after 13 games – with Arsenal, who are ahead in second purely by virtue of having been the away side in their 1-1 draw earlier in the campaign. 

Though Liverpool are the league’s early runaway leaders, nine points clear of the London rivals, Maresca and Co have played themselves into the title conversation after a third of the season. 

Yet the Italian boss was quick to play down any hype around his side as contenders for the crown, instead suggesting that fans and pundits alike may need to halt title talk for a few more years. 

‘For me Chelsea in the next five-10 years will be one of the teams, or the team that is going to dominate English football. This is what I said to the club the first time that I met them. 

Enzo Maresca has suggested those backing his side for a title race should look a little further into the future

‘No matter the manager, because of the age and because of the squad, you can dominate English football, and I still feel exactly the same. 

‘Now, in terms of target they didn’t ask me any target, but to build something for the next years important. I think we are in the right direction. 

‘In terms of personal target, I know that from outside you struggle to believe, I just finished to see how today how the players can improve and how the team can improve. 

‘I’m focused about Southampton, but I’m not focused about end of the season, next season, two seasons, because it is not real.’

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