Enzo Maresca: Chelsea don't feel ready to challenge for Premier League title

Enzo Maresca has played down Chelsea's chances of challenging for the Premier League title.

Chelsea moved to within four points of leaders Liverpool, two ahead of Arsenal and four ahead of Manchester City with a 4-3 win at Tottenham last weekend, extending their winning run to four games.

Maresca has found a settled squad despite the club's heavy spending which saw them finish second, although the head coach, who won Serie A as a player with Juventus and guided Leicester to the league title, is still not see the marks of the title challengers. Chelsea.

“You can smell that, you can feel that – and maybe that's why I said we're not ready because we don't feel that and we don't smell that at this time,” said Maresca ahead of their home game against Brentford. Sunday.

“I hope we can be there soon, but at the moment I think that's one of the reasons I think we're not there.

“I like to convince myself and convince the players that the only way to fight for something or to compete for something is to focus on the day to day. Because when you start thinking in two days, three days, one month, two months this is the beginning of bad times.”

Maresca has built his team around Cole Palmer, who has scored 11 goals and provided six assists in 15 league games this season.

“I feel very proud, privileged to work with Cole, I feel very lucky to be honest to work with all of them,” said Maresca. “Cole is definitely different from rest

“The most important thing is that he loves football. When we start a session he is one of the first ones outside to start playing football, and you can see in that moment those who love football and those who play football.

“But we have a lot of good players. I am the manager in this case, but I feel happy and proud to work with them.”