December 2nd 2024.
Enzo Maresca, the manager of Chelsea, is proud to see his team thriving this season. Despite their impressive run of form, he believes they are not yet ready to compete with the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal, and Manchester City. The Blues have only suffered two losses this season, both against top teams - Man City on the opening day and Liverpool in October. Their recent 3-0 victory over Aston Villa has kept them level on points with second-placed Arsenal. Additionally, they have been dominating in the Europa Conference League, with a perfect record in the group phase.
Their brilliant form has even seen them surpass Manchester City, who have been struggling with four consecutive league losses - the worst run in Pep Guardiola's managerial career. However, Maresca remains cautious about their title chances and believes they still have a long way to go before they can compete with the top teams. He stated, "I think we are not ready to compete with Arsenal, Liverpool and City for many reasons and because we won today I am not going to change my mind." He added, "The good thing is we are improving and hopefully very soon we will be there."
Reflecting on their recent 3-0 win over Aston Villa, Maresca praised his team's performance and gave credit to their opponent's manager, Unai Emery. He said, "This was a very good game for many reasons, one is that we played a team that is fantastic and I consider Emery to be a top manager." He also acknowledged the importance of preparation and felt that their victory was well-deserved.
However, Maresca believes that his team still has a lot to learn and needs to experience more big moments before they can truly compete with the top teams. He pointed out that many of his players have only played in one final in their careers, the Carabao Cup last year. In contrast, players from Arsenal, Liverpool, and Man City have all been in title runs and have much more experience. Maresca stated, "We will be there soon but that is why we are not ready to compete with those clubs."
While Chelsea's impressive form continued at the weekend with their win over Aston Villa, it was a different story for the opposing team. Villa has been struggling in recent games and this loss pushed them down into the bottom half of the Premier League. Their manager, Unai Emery, acknowledged the challenges they are facing this season and the need to maintain balance. He said, "We have to try to keep balance. I know this year is going to be more difficult because some teams are feeling stronger, like Chelsea today." He also expressed the importance of recovering their confidence and adapting to the tougher competition this season.
Emery also noted the difference in their opponents' perceptions this year compared to last year when they were a surprise team. He said, "This year has been different because we are not a surprise like last year. They [opponents] don't have doubts now like they had last year." He emphasized the need to adapt and improve in order to achieve their goal of a top-five finish. Despite the challenges, Emery remains determined and stated, "We have to come back with good results."
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