Enzo Maresca repeats Jose Mourinho tactic as Chelsea stars handed reality check

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca is in danger of talking his players out of chasing Premier League glory after insisting his team aren’t in this season’s title race. The same tactic was used by Jose Mourinho in his first season back at Stamford Bridge during the 2013/14 campaign, with the Blues going on to finish third.

Chelsea have been breathtaking under Maresca, who took over from Mauricio Pochettino in the summer.

The west Londoners have won 10 Premier League games under the Italian and are just two points behind league leaders Liverpool.

On Sunday, Chelsea took advantage of Liverpool’s slip up against Fulham by defeating Brentford 2-1.

Marc Cucurella opened the scoring for the home side just before the break, with Nicolas Jackson adding a second with 10 minutes remaining. Bryan Mbeumo netted a late consolation but that couldn’t stir an epic comeback for the visitors.

After the match, Maresca was asked about his team’s title ambitions. But the Italian maintained: “No matter how many games we win, I think we are not ready to compete for the title.

“One of the reasons why is that the team that knows how to compete to win titles, they won’t concede goals we concede. A team that knows how to win titles, that is not a goal they know how to concede.

“Just two teams have conceded less than us. Defensively we’re not doing bad. We’d like to end with a clean sheet but there’s another team trying to score.”

During the 2013/14 campaign, Chelsea were in inspired form as they moved to within two points of leaders Arsenal following a 1-0 victory at Manchester City at the start of February.

But Mourinho wrote his team off as he explained: “The title race is between two horses and a little horse that needs milk and needs to learn how to jump. Maybe next season we can race.

“I don’t agree we are title contenders. We are a team in evolution but this is the kind of performance that helps a team grow up a little tactically and mentally. It was fantastic.

“Our objective is to build the team. I want to start the next pre-season and say this season we are going to win the league. This season, I can’t.”

That lack of drive in public to win the title appeared to cost the Blues dearly as they won just five of their final nine matches to finish four points adrift of champions Manchester City. And if Maresca wants to talk his team down, the players may just start to believe what he’s saying.