December 11th 2024.
Former Manchester United and England defender Gary Neville recently responded to a bold claim about Chelsea's chances of catching and overtaking Premier League leaders Liverpool in the coming weeks. Many had feared that Chelsea would struggle after a chaotic transfer window and the arrival of new manager Enzo Maresca, but these fears have proven to be unfounded. In fact, Chelsea is currently second in the Premier League, just four points behind Liverpool with a game in hand.
Under Maresca's leadership, Chelsea has emerged as one of the most impressive and exciting teams in England. With a tally of 35 league goals, they currently hold the top spot for most goals scored in the division. And with their current form showing no signs of slowing down, Chelsea's upcoming fixture list looks quite favorable, which could result in even more points heading to Stamford Bridge.
Their next game is against Brentford and then they will take on Everton, Fulham, Ipswich Town, Crystal Palace, Bournemouth, and Wolves before a highly anticipated match against Manchester City on January 25th. Sports broadcaster Rebecca Lowe, on The Overlap US' It's Called Soccer show, believes that Chelsea could be at the top of the league by the turn of the year. "Chelsea has a really interesting run coming up," she said. "Their schedule looks quite straightforward, and I think they could be top by the start of 2025. They must be taken seriously as they are definitely in the title race."
In response to Lowe's comments, Neville agreed that Chelsea is in the title race, but he does not believe they will ultimately win it. "They've got a good run of games coming up, so it's likely they will amass a lot of points before the New Year," he said. "They could get close to Liverpool, but it's a bold statement to say they will be at the top by New Year's Day. If it does come true, you're going to look very clever."
Neville also pointed out that Chelsea's title rivals, Liverpool, have been performing exceptionally well under their new manager Arne Slot. They currently sit at the top of the Premier League and have a perfect record in the revamped Champions League group stage. However, one player who has been instrumental in Chelsea's resurgence is Cole Palmer. Neville admits he has been blown away by Palmer's performances since he joined the team from Manchester City in the summer of 2023.
"You watch his interviews, and he just looks like he's meant to be there," Neville said of Palmer. "He's an exceptional talent and is beautiful to watch. He's a star among a group of very good players. When Chelsea signed him for £40m, I didn't question it, but I did question why they needed another wide player with players like Mudryk and Madueke already on the team. But Palmer has exceeded all expectations, and his precision and class on the field at such a young age is truly amazing."
While Neville believes that Chelsea may fall short in the title race, he also acknowledges that they are well ahead of schedule under Maresca's management. "If they do get closer to Liverpool, they won't be able to deny the expectations, but I won't be piling the pressure on them," he said. "Maresca has done an incredible job, and I still think they will fall short, but that does not diminish the amazing work he has done with this team."
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