Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca acknowledged the team’s progress but emphasized the need for patience to reach the consistency levels of clubs like Manchester City and Arsenal. Despite a strong start to the season under his management, Maresca expressed caution about Chelsea’s ability to compete for major trophies this year.
Maresca pointed out the long-term managerial stability at City and Arsenal, noting that such continuity is crucial for building a winning team. He highlighted the importance of allowing Chelsea to develop and improve gradually, despite the significant investment in the squad.
Following Chelsea’s 4-2 victory over Gent in the Europa Conference League, Maresca stated, “I really don’t think we can compete with City or Arsenal. The reason is that City has worked with the same manager for nine years, and Arsenal for five years. If you want to compete for big things, you need that time.”
He added, “After Arsenal beat PSG, they asked Luis Enrique, and he said the same thing about Arsenal having the same manager for five years and only a year and a half for us. Imagine us, only three months… so it’s a huge difference. I am really convinced we cannot compete with those clubs.”
Chelsea will face Nottingham Forest on Sunday, October 6, at 2 p.m. as they continue to build towards future success.