Gianfranco Zola makes shock Chelsea title claim after rare Arsenal defeat | Football

Gianfranco Zola believes Chelsea are still challenge of catching Premier League leaders Arsenal under ‘serious coach’ Enzo Maresca.

An encouraging run of form and a spirited 1-1 draw with Arsenal suggested Chelsea were able to mount a sustained title challenge.

Maresca’s side were in an analogous position this time last season and while they fell away within the league, ultimately ending fourth, the Blues did win the Conference League at the tip of the campaign after which the Club World Cup over the summer.

Chelsea impressed against title favourites Arsenal, earning a share of the spoils despite going all the way down to ten men, but endured two disappointing results since then.

A shock 3-1 defeat to Leeds United was followed by a goalless draw against Bournemouth, with Chelsea slipping to fifth within the Premier League, eight points adrift of the Gunners.

Various pundits, including Gary Neville, have ruled Chelsea out of the title race following those results but Stamford Bridge legend Zola believes there remains to be a probability of his former club competing for the title.

Zola, one among Chelsea’s best players of the pre-Roman Abramovich era, told The Times: ‘Winning a Premier League is at all times difficult, but why not?

‘That Arsenal game was a fantastic sign of their maturity. Playing for therefore long 10 against 11, and playing in a way that meant they didn’t suffer much in any respect against probably one of the best team in Europe at once, is an indication of great strength.

‘The identical may be said for the style wherein they limited Barcelona even before their red card.

‘I’ve been really impressed with Maresca, and never simply because he’s already won titles. That element is absolutely necessary but what I actually like is the team’s sense of identity.

‘Despite being young, despite having such a giant squad with so many great players to attempt to get one of the best from, he has already given a very clear, wealthy and distinct identity.

‘That reflects well on Maresca, and since he’s still so young, he still has a lot scope to progress even further as a coach.

‘I didn’t know him personally before he got here to Chelsea, but I had followed what he did at Leicester and will see that we were coping with a serious coach.

‘He’s worked with and for [Arrigo] Sacchi, Manuel Pellegrini, [Pep] Guardiola. He’s had a superb grounding.’

Former Manchester United and England defender Neville said Chelsea were ‘miles away’ from winning the Premier League after their 3-1 defeat at Leeds.

‘I’ve never bought into this, “Chelsea are going to challenge for the title”,’ Neville said on his Sky Sports podcast.

‘Getting close, possibly getting as much as third or second, possibly, because there’s numerous inconsistency around near the highest of the league, it’s only Arsenal acting at a level you’ll say is anything like for the time being.

‘Look, Leeds haven’t been great recently but there needs to be an understanding of what they could face, I didn’t think there was any of that from Chelsea, the coach made changes.

‘He played a team of very young players, Chalobah at right-back was awkward when it comes to on the ball first half, you have got a mountain of passes, 1,000,000 passes within the back three that was driving me crazy, and also you start passing slowly, don’t start a game slowly, get the ball moving.

‘They drifted, walking on the ball, so many passes back the way in which, and while you start like that and a team are on top of you, you’re playing right into their hands.

‘They need them to play across the back slowly, it’s the simpler thing on the planet for the opposition, so don’t try this, feed the ball quickly into positions further forward.

‘I even have to say, Chelsea didn’t approach the sport appropriately. They didn’t have the meat on the pitch to handle Leeds’ muscle, it’s so simple as that, they were out-muscled, out-fought, out-run.

‘Let’s stop talking about Chelsea being a title-winning team, it’s not there. They haven’t got the goalkeeper for it, they haven’t got the centre-backs for it, they usually haven’t got the centre-forwards for it.

‘But they’ll finish in the highest 4, I feel they’ve got numerous excellent players, they’ve spent a fortune on that squad, they’ve got some real talent in there.

‘But they’re miles away from being a title-winning team, and I do know what a title-winning team looks like and Chelsea fans will know what a title-winning team looks like.

‘They’ve won loads of them. They’ve seen the physicality and the sturdiness it’s worthwhile to win the league, it’s not all about playing football.

‘Particularly in these months of December, January, February, there are big demands on these players, it gets colder, games come thick and fast, the lads are having to go every three or 4 days, you’ve got to play a more robust game at this era of the 12 months.

‘Chelsea are way off it in certain areas of the pitch, the spine shouldn’t be ok. They’ve some excellent players and there’s loads to work with but they’re nowhere near a title-winning team, they’re nowhere near.’

Chelsea can be eager to get back to winning ways within the Premier League on Saturday when Everton visit Stamford Bridge.

Before that, Maresca’s side are in midweek Champions League motion against Serie A side Atalanta.

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