Mikel Arteta disagrees with Enzo Maresca title claim and makes Chelsea admission | Football

Mikel Arteta insists Chelsea ‘deserve’ to be competing with Arsenal for the Premier League title this season.

League leaders Arsenal boast a six-point advantage over second-placed Chelsea ahead of Sunday’s London derby at Stamford Bridge.

While Arsenal finished as runners-up for the third season in a row last yr, Chelsea could only muster a fourth-placed finish.

But Enzo Maresca’s side won the Club World Cup over the summer and enjoyed one other productive transfer window to bolster an already strong and deep squad in west London.

Chelsea endured a blip earlier within the season but five wins from their last six games has seen the Blues climb to second within the Premier League and seventh within the Champions League.

Speaking ahead of an enormous derby against Arsenal, Maresca said it was ‘too early’ to declare his Chelsea team title contenders.

But Arteta believes Chelsea ‘deserve’ to be within the Premier League title race and says Arsenal’s London rivals are one among his favourite teams to observe.

Asked whether he viewed Chelsea as title challengers, Arteta said: ‘I think we’re all there, they usually are there because they fully deserve what they’ve done in the previous couple of years.

‘I believe the squad that they assembled, the numbers that they’ve, the standard that they’ve, the variety of coaches they’ve it is smart that what is going on there could be very, very positive they usually need to be there.’

Arteta somewhat surprisingly hailed Chelsea because the ‘best attacking team within the league by a mile’ after the 2 teams met back in March.

Pressed on whether that was still the case, Arteta replied: ‘They were [the best last season], the sample now this season is early so it’s difficult to say.

‘Nevertheless it is one among the teams that I enjoy probably the most watching they usually have a number of fluidity, they’ve a number of threat, they’ve a number of individual talent.

‘They’re very clear what they need to do and that’s why they’re very tough.’

Chelsea finished 15 points behind Premier League champions Liverpool last season so Maresca’s reluctance to speak up their title credentials is comprehensible.

‘For me, it’s very early,’ the Italian told reporters on Friday. ‘It’s too early in any case if we win or don’t win [against Arsenal].

‘It’s November, there’s 5 or 6 months to go. It’s necessary where we’re [in the table] in February and March and we’ll see if we are able to achieve something necessary.’

Despite playing down Chelsea’s title ambitions, Maresca insisted there was a ‘nice feeling’ within the squad ahead of the visit of Premier League favourites Arsenal.

Chelsea warmed up for Arsenal by thumping La Liga champions Barcelona 3-0 within the Champions League.

‘It’s one other big game,’ Maresca said. ‘We finished the one against Barca with a very good feeling.

‘If it’s greater than the last one, I don’t know. For me they’re all necessary. It’s a pleasant feeling but it surely’s three points. Then we’ve Leeds which is three points in the identical way.

‘The mindset and mood are excellent. We’re doing good within the Premier League and Champions League. It’s a very good feeling that we are able to see we’re improving and growing.

‘We want that environment, the fans the way in which they were. It’s all the time nice to share that sort of moment at the tip of the sport with everyone.’

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