Maresca repeats his claim that Chelsea are not title contenders despite dominant win over Aston Villa | OneFootball

Enzo Maresca lauded Chelsea’s progress as a team but has stated again that the Blues are not yet title contenders despite a comfortable 3-0 win over Aston Villa.

Chelsea produced one of their strongest performances of the season as they brushed Aston Villa aside at Stamford Bridge, with goals from Nicolas Jackson, Enzo Fernandez and Cole Palmer, and Maresca said his team executed the gameplan perfectly.

However, despite sitting on equal points with title hopefuls Arsenal and ahead of four-time champions Manchester City, he said his team must still improve before they can look to the top spot, saying that he would not change his stance based on one result.

He said: “We are not ready to compete with Liverpool, Arsenal, or City for many reasons.

“Just because we won today I am not going to change my idea, we are not ready for that, but the good thing is that we are improving and soon we can be there.”

He added the caveat, though, that Chelsea are well on their way to measuring up with their rivals, saying: “It was a very good performance, on the ball and off the ball. I think we competed quite well.

“I think we are doing that since we start, sometimes better sometimes worse, but I said many times I think we are in the right direction.”

The progression is due in part to Palmer, Joao Felix, and the resurgent Enzo Fernandez, for whom Maresca had high praise.

He said: “Cole Palmer and Joao Felix are the reason why people buy tickets, to see that kind of player. Cole Palmer, he can see things like Joao that the rest, they cannot see. That does not mean that the rest aren’t good, but they are different from the rest.”

On Fernandez, he said: “We are always looking for balance on the ball and off the ball. Enzo did fantastic today once again. Today’s game I think is very difficult to find one of them that was no good. I think we were all good and this is important.”