Chelsea may be third in the Premier League table, but head coach Enzo Maresca said his young side were not part of the title race and solely concentrating on improving in every match.
The west London club has only lost two of its 12 league games, with those defeats coming against champion Manchester City and leader Liverpool, which it trails by nine points.
Chelsea is level on 22 points with fourth-placed Arsenal and Brighton & Hove Albion in fifth but has a better goal difference.
Maresca, who was hired in June after he guided Leicester City to the Championship (second-tier) title in his first season in charge, insisted Chelsea was very much a work in progress.
Asked if it was in the title race, he said: “No. I said it many times. I really like the pressure. I’d like to say: ‘Yes, we’re there’ - but we’re not there,” he told reporters ahead of Sunday’s game with Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge.
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“It’s nice to see the team improving, that is important; it is nice, a good feeling.
“At the same time, you need to be realistic and you can see the difference between us and the rest at the moment.
“This doesn’t mean we’re not going to win games and not compete until the end, but the main focus has to be the feeling we’re improving game after game.
“Arsenal is five years together (with manager Mikel Arteta), City more than eight years together (under Pep Guardiola), and Liverpool is a bit different but they didn’t make many changes from the past. This is the reason. It’s not about points or difference in the table, it’s just the time together.”
Liverpool replaced Jurgen Klopp, who was at the club for nearly nine years, with Arne Slot in the close season.
Italian Maresca played for Sevilla from 2005-2009, about four years before now Villa boss Unai Emery took charge of the La Liga club and led them to three Europa League titles.
Maresca heaped praise on the Spaniard, who was appointed by Villa in October 2022 and helped the Birmingham-based side qualify for the Champions League by finishing fourth in the Premier League last season.
“Villa have a top manager, they are doing fantastic. I know Emery from Sevilla and I know how intense they are. They are showing fantastic things with very good players. It will be a tough game,” Maresca said.
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