We can achieve it — Maresca finally reveals Chelsea target after brushing off title contention talks

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has named the club's objective for this season after playing down title contention on multiple occasions. 

The Italian tactician was named Blue boss in the summer after erstwhile coach Mauricio Pochettino was ousted. Given the instability at the club, Chelsea were not billed for much; however, an impressive early-season form that saw them sit amongst the top 3 for weeks earned them title shouts; however, Maresca repeatedly played it down. 

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Win after win, the former Leicester boss refused to be lulled into an admission that Chelsea were in the title race. So much so that his cynicism birthed memes on social media.

The Blues have since slipped up, winning only three of their last 10 Premier League games. This has seen them drop to 6th, 10 points behind Arsenal in second, a position they temporarily occupied during their brilliant run. 

Proven right, Maresca, ahead of their trip to Birmingham to face Aston Villa, insisted that he never trusted their form and was certain they were not ready to compete for the Premier League title. 

However, he stated that a top 4 finish—which guarantees a return to the Champions League—is their objective for the campaign, finally offering Chelsea fans a target to focus on. 

“We said many times the target is the top four. I have made it clear since day one that I’m not here to survive. I’m here to take the club to fight for titles,” Maresca said. 

“When we win we have to be humble. When we lose we look like we lack ambition. I want to take this club to where it should be.

“With the fans with us we can achieve our target. When you can hear the fans behind us it’s a nice feeling. We have won our last two home games and with our fans, especially against West Ham, they helped us.”