Maresca Dampens Title Talk Ahead of Crucial London Derby

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has played down suggestions that his team is ready to challenge Premier League leaders Arsenal for the title, insisting it is "too early to tell," despite the two clubs preparing for a monumental showdown this Sunday at Stamford Bridge.

The crucial London derby sees second-place Chelsea attempting to slash Arsenal’s lead at the summit from six points down to three. Both teams are entering the fixture in scorching form, with Chelsea having delivered a stunning 3-0 victory over Barcelona in the Champions League, while Arsenal secured an impressive 3-1 win over Bayern Munich.

However, Maresca is cautious about raising expectations. Recalling how his team dropped out of the title race last season after a promising start, he maintained a grounded perspective on their current title credentials. "It's too early in any case if we win or don't win [against Arsenal]," Maresca stated. "It's November, there's five or six months to go." He stressed that the team's true position will be measured much later: "It's important where we are [in the table] in February and March and we'll see if we can achieve something important."

Despite his cautious words, Maresca is clearly relishing the rich vein of form his team has discovered, which includes six wins from their last seven league matches. He acknowledged that the recent victory against Barcelona was possibly the best display of his 18-month tenure, noting the electric atmosphere at Stamford Bridge. While emphasizing that the Arsenal game is worth only three points, just like their next match against Leeds, Maresca highlighted the positive mood: "The mindset and mood are very good. We are doing good in the Premier League and Champions League. It's a good feeling that we can see we're improving and growing."