Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has claimed that his team cannot compete with Arsenal and Manchester City just yet. The Italian coach is off to a fairly solid start with the Blues so far this season. The West London side currently sits fourth in the Premier League table, just a point behind the two title favorites.
Maresca, however, was given a tough first task with his new club. In his first English top-flight fixture, the coach led Chelsea against City. Despite the match being played at Stamford Bridge, the reigning English champions topped their opponents by a score of 2-0 on the day. The Blues ultimately could not capitalize on their scoring chances in the match.
Despite starting the 2024/25 campaign with a big defeat, Maresca has not lost a Premier League game since. Chelsea has also recorded some lopsided victories since the opening fixture as well. This includes a 6-2 win over Wolves, a 3-0 triumph at West Ham, and most recently, a 4-2 victory against Brighton.
Maresca claims Chelsea needs time to get to level of Arsenal, Man City
While there have been positive signs at Chelsea with Maresca at the helm, the coach wants to limit expectations for the season. “I really don’t think we can compete with City or Arsenal,” Maresca told reporters after a Conference League win against Gent on Thursday.
The Blues boss backed up his statement by pointing to stability at both of the rival clubs. City manager Pep Guardiola and Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta are two of the longest-tenured coaches in the entire Premier League. Maresca, on the other hand, has only been with Chelsea for a few months.
“I really think that because we are not ready,” continued Maresca. “The reason is that City has worked with the same manager for nine years and Arsenal for five years. If you want to compete for big things, you need that time.”
“After Arsenal beat PSG they asked Luis Enrique and he said the same thing that Arsenal have had the same manager…
Source link : https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/maresca-chelsea-cant-compete-with-arsenal-and-man-city/
Author : Chris Moore
Publish date : 2024-10-04 16:35:44
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