Chelsea striker Cole Palmer has scoffed at the suggestion his side are in the Premier League title race.
The invariably blunt playmaker made no secret of his disdain for that particular line of questioning after Chelsea. easy 3-0 win over Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon. Palmer scored the third and final goal, collecting the ball on the edge of the box and bending a vicious effort beyond the reach of substitute goalkeeper Robin Olsen.
This victory left Chelsea third Premier League tabledespite having exactly the same points and goal difference as second-placed Arsenal. While the Gunners have openly discussed their aspirations to chase down league leaders Liverpool, Chelsea are operating under a blanket approach of denial.
With a mixture of bewilderment and annoyance on his face, Palmer shut down any talk of the title in an interview after Sunday’s win over Villa. “It’s too soon,” he sniffed.
“If we keep winning we will be close to the top four, but as the player said, Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal have been together for more than five years, while we have only been together for one season. We just want to continue forward and winning the matches”.
As Chelsea manager Palmer alluded to Enzo Maresca has been injured to minimize his team’s chances of challenging for the Premier League title. “I think we are not ready to compete with Liverpool, Arsenal and City for many reasons and because we win today I will not change my mind,” the Italian coach said on Sunday.
Chelsea they have only been beaten by league leaders Liverpool and reigning champions Manchester City in England’s top flight this season. After a difficult start to the campaign, the Blues have been handed a seemingly favorable fixture list over the festive period.
Maresca’s side do not play a team currently in the Premier League’s top six until their trip cityEtihad Stadium on January 25. Chelsea face five of their last six ahead of this trip north, starting with a visit to 20th-placed Southampton on Wednesday night.
If the west London side continue to pick up points during this attractive fixture list, Palmer and Maresca will not be able to deny their title credentials for much longer.
