The head coach of Chelsea, Enzo Maresca, expressed his view that his team is “right there” when it comes to competing with Arsenal for the Premier League title.
The Gunners entered Sunday’s match holding a four-point advantage at the summit of the league standings, while the Blues were trailing by six points in the third spot.
The game concluded with a 1-1 draw, precipitated by a sending off of midfielder Moises Caicedo in the 38th minute for a forceful challenge on Mikel Merino. Maresca concurred with the referee’s decision.
Enzo Maresca alludes to Chelsea’s prospects of contending for the title
Despite being a man down, the Blues maintained their intensity at Stamford Bridge, breaking the deadlock shortly after the interval with a header from Trevoh Chalobah.
Many consider Arsenal to be the foremost team in England this season, perhaps even in Europe, but Maresca holds the view that his team performed better.
🗣️ “We were a much better team than them 11 vs 11″Enzo Maresca reacts after Chelsea’s draw with Arsenal. pic.twitter.com/ulxvew2q3iNovember 30, 2025
“We demonstrated that we’re progressing in the appropriate manner,” the Chelsea manager communicated to Sky Sports post-match. “I reiterate this because I genuinely believe we are advancing correctly.”
“We were significantly superior to them when both teams had eleven players. Playing with ten players makes things more challenging.”
“I think that we are a better team compared to last season. We are more close, and then we see where we are in February, March.”
When pressed to comment on whether the Blues are contenders for the title, Maresca endeavored to maintain his composure.
“We’re in contention,” the Italian responded, his expression suggesting he had observed enough during the match against Arsenal.
In the view of FourFourTwo, Chelsea is unlikely to encounter many teams of greater quality or with the depth of talent possessed by Arsenal.
Therefore, securing a draw against them serves as a robust indicator of where this version of the Blues stands within the Premier League hierarchy.
Achieving this feat while playing with ten men for the majority of the match suggests that they may be progressing towards posing genuine challenges for the Gunners, particularly with players like Cole Palmer set to return to the lineup.
Chelsea’s next match is against Leeds United, when Premier League action resumes next week.
