Chelsea vs Arsenal: Enzo Maresca believes Blues are getting better as Mikel Arteta refuses to be drawn on title talk
Enzo Maresca admits Sunday’s meeting with Arsenal is a “big moment” in Chelsea’s season, but warned that his side are getting “better and better”.
Maresca’s side go into the game at Stamford Bridge sitting six points behind Mikel Arteta’s Premier League leaders, knowing that a victory could halve the gap.
Coming off the back of a statement victory over Barcelona in the Champions League, there is no time to dwell ahead of what could be a season-defining contest.
“It’s a big moment,” the Chelsea boss told Sky Sports.
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Steve Sidwell described Chelsea’s Champions League win over Barcelona at Stamford Bridge as ‘sensational’
“Especially because it’s a derby. It’s against Arsenal. They are in good form.
“Defensively they are very good. And then offensively they are fantastic players. They have different weapons, not only set-pieces because everyone is talking about set-pieces, not only set-pieces.
“They have players that can decide the game at any moment. On the ball and off the ball, they are very good.
“But, we are in good form too. All the games are different. Hopefully we can have a good game and win.”
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While many were worried that Chelsea would struggle coming off the back of a hectic summer which saw them go all the way in the FIFA Club World Cup – succeeding an already successful campaign that involved a top-four finish and UEFA Conference League triumph – Maresca has managed to navigate their way into early title contention.
That extra time together seems to have only improved the cohesion within the camp, though the Italian still isn’t sure exactly where his team fall in comparison to other top outfits.
“I think we are better than last season, for sure,” he said. “The reason why is because we have spent one more year together.
“Where we are in this moment, to be honest, I don’t know. What I know is that we’re going in the right direction and we are competing every game against any team.”
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Kaveh Solhekol explains why Chelsea have ‘zero expectation’ to win the Premier League title this season
Sky Sports News’ chief correspondent Kaveh Solhekol revealed Chelsea have zero expectations of winning the title this season, despite going into Sunday’s game as Arsenal’s nearest challenger.
While that might be the case, the confidence within the squad has allowed Maresca to believe that his side can beat anyone that stands in front of them.
“Winning last season or finishing top four helped a lot in terms of confidence, energy and belief because they can see they are able to do anything to win any games,” he added.
“Last season helped a lot, and I think this season you can see we are getting better and better.”
Arteta refuses to be drawn on title talk
Mikel Arteta refused to be drawn into Paul Merson’s comments over whether or not Arsenal were in pole position in the Premier League
On the other end of the scale, Arteta is sure his side are remaining grounded ahead of the possibility of going nine points clear of Chelsea.
Paul Merson claimed the Premier League is Arsenal’s to lose, but the Gunners boss is shutting out the noise.
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“I’m confident in what we’ve done up to now and the things that we can control,” Arteta said.
“This is football and now we have to show it every single day what we are capable of.”
A big part of why Arsenal fell short of ending their league title drought last season was deemed to be the fitness issues that plagued Arteta’s squad, particularly in the first half of the season.
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Arteta has had to deal with a plethora of injuries already this season, with Gabriel the latest to find himself on the sidelines
A similar circumstance has arisen in recent weeks, with Gabriel, Martin Odegaard and Viktor Gyokeres among several who found themselves on the sidelines.
This time though, the Gunners have coped far better, with Arteta crediting the depth of his squad as being the biggest difference this time around.
“There was a moment last year that we had 14, 13 players to play for competition, which was very difficult,” he said.
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“Now we have increased the depth and we have increased the quality as well, which is something that we needed.”
It’s not just quality that the league leaders have brought in though. It is mentality, which Arteta says is at an all-time high.
“If we are all here with the same purpose, which is to give our best to try to bring success, joy and trophies to this football club, we all have to be in the same boat.
“We’re going to have moments and roles that are going to change. The better we understand that and the more we look after each other and are focused on the task, the more efficient we’re going to be.
“You see a lot of examples of players coming in and winning the game for us and that’s only if your mindset and the clarity on that is superb.”
