Chelsea get honest title verdict as ex-player makes reluctant Arsenal admission

The Blues climbed up to second with their 5-1 thrashing of Southampton on Wednesday night.

Enzo Maresca's side leapfrogged Arsenal and are now seven points behind leaders Liverpool.

The Blues can close the gap to just four points when they travel to Tottenham on Sunday - after Liverpool's match away at Everton was postponed due to adverse weather on Saturday.

However, former defender Cundy has played down suggestions his old club are in a title race this season.

Instead, he feels the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal are in a better position to still be battling for top spot later in the campaign.

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Discussing the Blues' status in the title race, Cundy told talkSPORT's Inside Chelsea: " You know, you look at the sides that have won it. You can look at Van Dijk. You can look at Robertson, Trent. You're looking at Salah. These players have walked this journey.

"They know what it takes to win the Champions League, what it takes to win the Premier League.

"And Arne Slot's come in and done a brilliant job, right? OK, they slipped up against Newcastle. There will be bumps in the road.

"I'm looking at Arsenal. That side that Arteta's built, it's taken five years. Maresca's been in five months, right? And we're above them in the league. We are doing really well.

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"The noise won't quieten while we're second. And that has to be the conversation. Because when you're second, people ask me, like I did on the show last night with Jamie, you're in the title race. No, we're not.

"Because if we're honest with ourselves, Arsenal are better equipped. They're further down the road than we are. They're a better team, better squad than we are.

"But if we are still second and the gap is seven points and we get to the end of Feb, then we can have that conversation, right?

"Then we'll have that conversation. But right here, right now, I don't think we will be second come the end of Feb. I think we'll probably be third or fourth.

"And do you know what? That's okay. That's okay. As long as we come out of December going into January, it's not those silly defeats that we've had in the past. And they will come because we still give up chances."

Under Maresca, Chelsea have lost just twice in their opening 14 league matches this term.

Meanwhile, the win at Southampton extended his side's unbeaten streak to six in the Premier League, with a third victory in a row.

The Blues have not won a league title since their fifth of the Premier League era under Antonio Conte in 2017.

It has also been three seasons since the Stamford Bridge outfit finished in the top four.

Maresca and his players remain in the hunt for two more trophies domestically and in Europe.

Chelsea host Morecambe in the FA Cup third round next month and are already into the knockout stages of the Europa Conference League after four wins from four matches.