Chelsea not yet ready to compete for Premier League title, admits Maresca

Blues fourth in table after impressive winning runChelsea host Nottingham Forest on Sunday Enzo Maresca has insisted Chelsea are not ready to compete for the Premier League title but believes that his side’s strong start to the season is building “energy, trust and confidence” among his players. Thursday’s 4-2 win over Gent in their opening match of the Conference League was Chelsea’s fifth in succession in all competitions, with Maresca’s side having scored 17 goals during that run. They head into Sunday’s meeting with Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge in fourth . They are two points behind the leaders, Liverpool, and one behind the champions, Manchester City – who inflicted Chelsea’s only defeat of the season so far on the opening weekend – and last season’s runners-up, Arsenal. But Maresca, who like Mikel Arteta previously worked as an assistant to Pep Guardiola at City, was adamant that his team will need time to build following his arrival from Leicester in the summer.