Chelsea manager, Enzo Maresca has reiterated his stance that his team is not currently in contention for the Premier League title, despite their position in the league table.
As they prepare for their upcoming match against Southampton on Wednesday, Chelsea find themselves tied for second place with Arsenal. However, both teams trail the leaders, Liverpool, by a significant nine points.
During a press conference before the Southampton match, Maresca acknowledged the achievements of both Arsenal and Manchester City, emphasizing that they are ahead of Chelsea in terms of form and experience.
“Arsenal has been at the top of the standings for the past two years, consistently vying for the championship alongside City, while we are still quite distant from City,” Maresca remarked.
He expressed a fondness for the competitiveness that comes with being in a title race, stating, “The pressure to be in contention for the title is a positive feeling for both myself and the players. It is the kind of pressure that is enjoyable because it signifies that we are competing at the highest level.”
However, he tempered expectations by clarifying, “Unfortunately, that isn’t our situation this season. We hope that shortly, we can find ourselves in that exciting position again.”
In addition to discussing the title race, Maresca also shared insights about his conversation with Ruud van Nistelrooy, the former Manchester United striker who recently accepted the role of manager at Leicester City.
Maresca revealed that he discussed with Van Nistelrooy before the Dutchman’s appointment at Leicester. “He reached out to me a few days ago before making his decision. We had a candid conversation, during which I informed him that Leicester is a fantastic club with wonderful people involved.”
Despite Maresca’s endorsement, he acknowledged that the final decision was ultimately Van Nistelrooy’s to make.