Chelsea are riding high in second in the Premier League table, but both Thierry Henry and Jamie Carragher still need convincing that they are genuine title challengers.
It has been a very impressive start to life in charge of the Blues for Enzo Maresca, who is shining in his first job as a Premier League manager.
Five straight wins have put Chelsea just two points behind league-leaders Liverpool, although the Reds do have a game in hand.
There is no doubt that the west London club is in the title race at this point, but both Henry and Carragher are not entirely sure they will last the distance.
The Frenchman says he needs to see Chelsea beating another top club in the Premier League before he can really see them as potential title winners.
‘We’ve seen Leicester do it, we’ve seen teams that no one expected to do it reach it,’ Henry said on Sky Sports. ‘I’m just thinking one thing they still didn’t do with this generation is to beat a team that’s in and around them.
‘They still didn’t beat a big team. Yeah they came back against Tottenham but show me you can beat Liverpool, show me you City, show me you can beat Arsenal. Then you will be like, hang on a minute, wait! There is a step there.’
Chelsea lost to Manchester City on their opening day of the season while their other league defeat has come at Liverpool and they have drawn their one meeting with Arsenal this campaign.
Carragher holds doubts over Chelsea’s goalkeeper and centre-backs, feeling they could cost Maresca this season, starting with their next outing away to Everton.
‘I think next weekend’s game is really important,’ said the former Liverpool defender. ‘You might say that Chelsea are at the top of the league and Everton are near the bottom. When I look at the things that worry me about Chelsea in terms of winning the league – a goalkeeper and maybe two centre-backs – Goodison Park is the type of place where something like that could show up. If they can go to Goodison and keep a clean sheet and win, you think, oh, ok.
‘That’s one of those results where it’s a team near the bottom but you know it’s a tough place to go.
‘If your goalkeeper is not at it, your two centre-backs are not at it, set-pieces at Everton. You can come a cropper there.’
Maresca continues to insist his team is not ready to be Premier League champions, highlighting the late goal conceded against Brentford last time out, despite beating the Bees 2-1.
‘No matter how many games we are going to win, I think we’re not ready to compete for the title,’ said the Italian.
‘One of the reasons is I think the team that knows how to compete to win titles will not concede a goal like we concede.
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‘On 90 minutes, a throw-in for us and we concede a goal. A team that knows how to win titles, that goal they’re not to going to concede.
‘It’s why I continue to say that we are not ready for titles. Even if you don’t believe me.
‘I would love the pressure to compete for the title. But we cannot concede the goal we concede and open the game and give them the chance to take a point here.’
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