Chelsea are third in the Premier League table and only six points behind leaders Arsenal. On the surface, that looks like a team firmly in the Chelsea title race. But Enzo Maresca is refusing to call his side title contenders, and he is doing it for a reason.
Instead of chasing headlines, the Italian coach keeps repeating one word: stability.
Chelsea’s position in the Chelsea title race
Compared to recent seasons, Chelsea look much healthier. Their structure without the ball is clearer, they create chances more regularly, and results have pushed them back into the top three. After more than a third of the season, they are the closest they have been to the Chelsea title race in years.
Fans and media naturally want to ask: are Chelsea now part of the title conversation?
Maresca’s answer is cautious. He says it is too early to talk about trophies in December. In his view, a team only deserves the “title contender” label if it is still in the same position in February or March. Until then, the table is just a snapshot, not a verdict.
Burned by last season’s Boxing Day slump
That caution comes directly from experience. Last season, in Maresca’s first year at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea were also high in the table at Christmas. They were second around Boxing Day and playing some of the most fluid football in the league.
Then they lost to Fulham on Boxing Day.
That defeat triggered a run of inconsistency. Chelsea started dropping points in games they had been expected to win. Instead of staying in the Chelsea title race, they slid into a battle just to lock up a Champions League place, which only came on the final day.
Maresca has not forgotten. For him, that collapse is proof that you cannot build your identity around being “title contenders” in December. You have to show you can survive the hardest stretch of the season first.
December and January are the real test
The coach often describes December as a complicated month. The schedule is packed, injuries pile up and teams playing in Europe can face games every three days. It is the period where even strong sides can suddenly lose shape and drop out of the Chelsea title race.
That is why Maresca’s current priority is not lifting the trophy on posters, but getting his team through winter without breaking their rhythm. He wants:
- Consistent performances across the busy festive period.
- Smarter rotation so key players stay fit.
- Better game management late in matches, to avoid repeats of last season’s late collapses.
If Chelsea manage that through December and January, their league position will naturally tell the story. If they are still third, still close to the top and still playing with control, no one will doubt they are part of the Chelsea title race.
Managing expectations and protecting the squad
There is also a psychological side to Maresca’s approach. This Chelsea squad is still young and in only its second year under his ideas. Calling them title favourites too soon adds pressure they may not yet be ready to carry over a full season.
By downplaying the Chelsea title race, he sends a calmer message inside the dressing room: focus on the next game, not on May. He wants players thinking about patterns, structure and effort, not headlines and odds.
At the same time, his stance protects the club from another wild mood swing. If Chelsea hit a rough patch in winter, it will not feel like they have “failed a title mission” but like a normal part of a long project.
What Chelsea must do to stay in the Chelsea title race
For Chelsea to arrive in March still alive in the Chelsea title race, a few things are non-negotiable. They must keep their defensive solidity, avoid long winless runs and handle tricky away matches without panicking. They also have to show they can win ugly when needed, not only when the football is flowing.
If they get through this winter stretch still within touching distance of Arsenal, the narrative will shift on its own. At that point, even Maresca will find it hard to dismiss title talk completely.
Until then, his choice to put stability before hype is not a lack of ambition. It is exactly how he believes Chelsea can turn a promising position in December into a real Chelsea title race when it actually matters.
