Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has disregarded Liverpool as a Premier League title contender this season.
The Blues manager recently spoke of his own side's chances of finishing in top spot following an impressive start to the campaign but insisted the Stamford Bridge outfit cannot compete with holders Manchester City or Arsenal .
While those two are undeniably the favorites given their final positions over the last two seasons, it is Liverpool which currently sits top of the Premier League after winning five of its opening six games of the new campaign.
The Reds currently have a one point lead over Man City and Arsenal and sit two points ahead of fourth-place Chelsea , which has endured a positive start to the season with four wins from its first six games and boasting the highest scoring attack with 15 goals.
But despite his side's recent run, Maresca has ruled his side out of the title race - and inadvertently Liverpool too. Speaking in Friday's pre-match press conference, he said: “I really don’t think we can compete with City or Arsenal. I really don’t think that because we are not ready.
“The reason is that City has worked with the same manager for nine years and Arsenal five years. If you want to compete for big things you need that time.
“After Arsenal beat PSG [in the Champions League on Tuesday] they asked Luis Enrique and he said the same thing, that ‘Arsenal have had the same manager for five years and us [PSG] a year and a half’. Imagine us, three months … so it’s a huge difference.
"So I am really convinced we cannot compete with those clubs. The target is to improve and slowly, slowly to get closer to those clubs but at the moment we are not ready for that.”
While this is no sly dig at Liverpool from Maresca, he backs up his reason for not mentioning the Reds during his title race chat by claiming that only clubs with long-term managers have a chance of winning the league. Arne Slot has made a fantastic start to his Reds career, but he's only been at Anfield for three months.
Perhaps this was the thinking behind Maresca's comments, yet it's also unfair to rule out Liverpool completely given how well it has started, coupled with the fact it still has an incredibly strong squad despite its third-place finish in the Premier League last season.
Next up for the Reds is a trip to face Crystal Palace in Saturday's early kick-off, where another three points would temporarily open up a four point gap over Man City and Arsenal prior to their home games with Fulham and Southampton , respectively.
Chelsea must wait until Sunday to take to the field once more, having featured in Europa Conference League action on Thursday, but will come up against a resilient Nottingham Forest side which has lost just one of its six games so far this season.
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