Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca insisted it is “too early to tell” whether his team can challenge Premier League leaders Arsenal for the title.
The top two meet at Stamford Bridge on Sunday with the Blues looking to slash the gap at the summit to three points.
Both teams go into the game off the back of stunning victories in Europe, Arsenal beating Bayern Munich 3-1 to go top of the Champions League table while Chelsea outclassed Barcelona 3-0 to put their qualification hopes into their own hands.
It was around this time last season that Maresca first faced questions about his team’s ability to mount a title challenge.
He consistently talked down their prospects, which proved prophetic as the team dropped from second at Christmas amid a slump in form and had to fight to qualify for the Champions League.
“It’s too early in any case if we win or don’t win [against Arsenal],” said Maresca of his side’s title credentials. “It’s November, there’s five or six months to go.
“It’s important where we are [in the table] in February and March and we’ll see if we can achieve something important.”
Chelsea turned in probably the best display of Maresca’s 18-month tenure against Barça on a night that saw the atmosphere at Stamford Bridge rise to a pitch not seen for several years in west London.
They have also won six of their last seven in the league to emerge as the closest challengers to the Gunners at the top.
After a mixed first two months of the campaign, Maresca is relishing the rich vein of form his team has discovered.
“It’s another big game,” he said. “We finished the one against Barça with a good feeling. If it’s bigger than the last one, I don’t know. For me they’re all important.
“It’s a nice feeling but it’s three points. Then we have Leeds which is three points in the same way.
“The mindset and mood are very good. We are doing good in the Premier League and Champions League. It’s a good feeling that we can see we’re improving and growing.
“We need that environment, the fans the way they were. It’s always nice to share that kind of moment at the end of the game with everyone.”
The game promises a fascinating match-up between two of the division’s in-form midfielders, Moisés Caicedo and Declan Rice.
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Both players were imperious during their teams’ respective European triumphs but Maresca was unwilling to see the game reduced to a tussle between the pair.
“The Premier League is full of good players, very good midfielders,” he said. “Moi, Declan, [Bruno] Guimaraes, Rodri. Full of very good midfielders.
“It’s a big part of the game but it’s not the only one. It’s 11 v 11. It’s just one part of the picture.”
