Chelsea Boss Enzo Maresca Cannot Smell Title Challenge Despite Strong Performance In Premier League

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Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has expressed scepticism about his team's title chances, even though they are currently second in the Premier League standings. The Blues have maintained an unbeaten streak over seven league games as they prepare to face Brentford at Stamford Bridge. They trail Liverpool, who play Fulham next, by just four points. Despite recent victories against Aston Villa, Southampton, and Tottenham, Maresca remains cautious about their title prospects.

Maresca explained his perspective: "You can smell that [a title race], you can feel that. Probably this is the reason why I said we are not ready because we don't feel that and we don't smell that in this moment. Hopefully soon we can be there." He emphasised the importance of focusing on daily progress rather than looking too far ahead. "When you start to think about 'in two days, three days, one month, two months,' it's the beginning of the bad times," he added.

Chelsea's attacking prowess is evident as they lead the league with 35 goals this season. In their last three matches, they've scored at least three goals each time. This scoring feat has only been achieved once before in Chelsea's history during November/December 1954 under Ted Drake when they went on to win the title.

Jadon Sancho has been a standout performer for Chelsea recently. He scored the opening goal in their thrilling 4-3 victory over Tottenham last week. Sancho aims to score in three consecutive league games for the first time since February 2021. Since joining on loan from Manchester United in the summer, he has shown flashes of brilliance.

Maresca believes Sancho's game can improve further: "Jadon, probably, he was lacking in finishing because we had many games where he arrived many times 1v1 and he's always looking for assist, assist, assist." Maresca noted that while Sancho's tendency to assist is positive, there are moments when taking a shot is necessary.

The left side of Chelsea's attack has faced some challenges in terms of scoring. Maresca acknowledged this issue: "In the left side, with the left pocket and left winger, we have struggled a little bit [to score]." Despite these difficulties, Chelsea remains a formidable force in front of goal.

As Chelsea prepares for their upcoming match against Brentford at Stamford Bridge, fans eagerly anticipate whether they can continue their impressive form and close the gap on Liverpool at the top of the table. The team's performance will be closely watched as they aim to maintain their position as strong contenders in this season's Premier League race.