Burkina Faso
Croatia
Czech Republic
Indonesia
International Tournaments
Nigeria
Republic OF Ireland
South Africa

Enzo Maresca's "calculated guess" comes true as Chelsea receive Premier League title verdict

sportsmole.co.uk, 27 January 2025, 12:11
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca "probably expected" his side to fall off the pace in the Premier League title race at some point in the second half of the season, former Blues defender Glen Johnson believes.

The West London giants' 3-1 loss to reigning champions Manchester City on Saturday evening left them sixth in the Premier League table, a whopping 13 points adrift of Liverpool having played a game more than the Reds.

Chelsea's failure to hang onto a one-goal lead at the Etihad means that they have now won just one of their last seven matches in England's top flight, having previously prevailed in five on the spin from November 23 to December 15 to cement a second-placed ranking in the table.

However, even when his side were pulling up trees in the Premier League, Maresca repeatedly insisted that the Blues were not genuine title challengers, comments that could have been perceived either as mind games that have backfired or a truthful admission that has now been proven.

Johnson - a 2004-05 Premier League winner with Chelsea - believes that the latter is the case, telling Sports Mole: ""He probably initially said it to keep the pressure off his team, like a manager would like to deflect it from.

Johnson: 'Element of truth to Maresca comments'

"But in the back of his head, he probably had a bit of an element of truth in there as well. To go from where they were last year to challenge for the title until the end of the season would have been highly unlikely.

"Yes, they put in some great performances, and they were doing it consistently. So they had the right to be second, third or fourth. But to challenge for the title, you've got to do it almost every week.

"He probably expected them to fall away at some point, so he just probably had a calculated guess at the same time as taking the heat away from his players."

As Chelsea now scrap for a top-four finish instead of Premier League title glory, Arne Slot's Liverpool machine are seemingly on an unstoppable run to their first Premier League title since the COVID-affected 2019-20 season.

The Reds' 4-1 thrashing of Ipswich Town at the weekend kept them six points clear of second-placed Arsenal, who were 1-0 victors against Wolverhampton Wanderers, and nine better off than Nottingham Forest after the Tricky Trees' shock 5-0 loss to Bournemouth.

Could the Premier League title be decided at Anfield?

However, Arsenal have previous when it comes to turning around seemingly insurmountable title deficits, having been 12 points behind Manchester United in February 1998 before overhauling Sir Alex Ferguson's side.

Liverpool and Arsenal will reunite at Anfield on May 10 in the third-last gameweek of the 2024-25 season, and Johnson has not ruled out the prospect of that titanic battle deciding the destiny of the league title.

"As a fan, you hope that the title goes that long. We want it to be on the edge. Of course, I want Liverpool to get there in the end, but you still want it to be exciting along the way," Johnson said.

"Hopefully the title race goes to the death and then you've got a massive clash towards the end that could decide the league. That'd be great for the fans to watch."

Chelsea's next Premier League encounter sees them host West Ham United in a London derby on February 3, and the Blues are also still competing for glory in the Conference League and FA Cup.

Glen Johnson was speaking to Sports Mole on behalf of Heart Bingo.

Written by

Ben Knapton

Show more

Top News

3 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea have confirmed that they have recalled David Datro Fofana from his loan spell at Goztepe SK, a move that could trigger a pair of departures from Stamford Bridge. 3 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal defender Myles Lewis-Skelly is reportedly on the radar of England's senior plans ahead of the March internationals. 3 February 2025 talksport.com No one knows better than Cristiano Ronaldo about how to succeed at Real Madrid, so Kylian Mbappe better listen up. 3 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Toulouse and Guingamp will lock horns in a battle between two recent winners of the Coupe de France on Wednesday night. 3 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Former Manchester United player Angel Gomes is reportedly set to remain at Lille until the end of the campaign. 3 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk A place in the quarter-finals of the Coupe de France is up for grabs when Nice travel to fourth-tier Stade Briochin on Wednesday. 3 February 2025 talksport.com A tenacious fan managed to give Lionel Messi's bodyguard the slip to embrace his hero during an Inter Miami friendly on Sunday. 3 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona will look to progress to the Copa del Rey semi-finals when they travel to Mestalla for Thursday's quarter-final tie against Valencia. 3 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly re-entered the race for Chelsea defender Axel Disasi during the final stages of the window. 3 February 2025 talksport.com The 2025 Premier League winter transfer window slams shut tonight with clubs rushing to complete some last-gasp activity. 3 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Carlisle United are reportedly considering a bold approach for Steven Gerrard as their next manager following the dismissal of Mike Williamson. 3 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Aiming to be one of the lowest-ranked teams to make the Coupe de France last eight, AS Cannes and Dives-Cabourg clash in the competition's round of 16 at Stade Pierre de Coubertin on Wednesday. 3 February 2025 talksport.com Mohamed Salah gave Gary Lineker a humorous, yet jokey, hint about his future at Liverpool. 3 February 2025 talksport.com Wrexham's ascent as a Welsh footballing powerhouse is continuing off the pitch as well as on it. 3 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United are reportedly set to miss out on the signing of Leon Bailey from Aston Villa. 3 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Wolverhampton Wanderers have reportedly finally reached an agreement over the sale of Mario Lemina. 3 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Meeting in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals, AC Milan and Roma will aim to shake off their Serie A woes and secure a semi-final spot on Wednesday. 3 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Aston Villa have reportedly moved a step closer to the loan signing of Paris Saint-Germain attacker Marco Asensio. 3 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea have reportedly given the green light for Joao Felix to leave Stamford Bridge on deadline day. 3 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk A place in the Copa del Rey semi-finals will be on the line when Real Madrid make the short trip across the city for Wednesday's last-eight clash with Leganes. 3 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea are reportedly interested in finalising a deal for Sporting Lisbon midfielder Dario Essugo on deadline day. 3 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal defender Maldini Kacurri has joined League Two side Bromley on loan for the rest of the 2024-25 season. 3 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Tottenham Hotspur defender Radu Dragusin is set to see a specialist to assess the knee injury he sustained in the Europa League win over Elfsborg last week. 3 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Aiming to continue their excellent form under the stewardship of a Chelsea legend, Coventry City will welcome Leeds United to The Coventry Building Society Arena for a Championship battle on Wednesday night. 3 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City are reportedly on the brink of completing a deal for Porto midfielder Nico Gonzalez after striking an agreement on a fee with their Portuguese counterparts. 3 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Bayern Munich striker Mathys Tel has reportedly performed a stunning transfer U-turn and is on the brink of joining Tottenham Hotspur on loan for the rest of the season. 3 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea have allowed Caleb Wiley to complete a loan transfer to Watford on deadline day. 3 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Lyon owner John Textor has announced that Liverpool-linked Rayan Cherki will not leave the club on deadline day. 3 February 2025 talksport.com Pep Guardiola's day at the office plunged deeper into frustration as a press conference question left him speechless. 3 February 2025 talksport.com Mathys Tel is set to join Tottenham on loan - just days after rejecting a move to north London, talkSPORT understands.
Wed 05 Feb, 17:45
QF
PSV PSV
-
sch
Feyenoord Feyenoord
Wed 05 Feb, 20:00
QF
AC Milan AC Milan
-
sch
Roma Roma