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Chelsea are currently five points off Premier League leaders Arsenal but Enzo Maresca's side are making clear progress
Chelsea have been backed to finish in the top four this season, although there are doubts over whether the Blues are ready to challenge the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal as of yet.
Enzo Maresca has done a fine job at Stamford Bridge since making the move from Leicester City last summer. As well as qualifying for the Champions League in his first season in charge, the Italian led Chelsea to UEFA Conference League glory. If that wasn't enough, the west Londoners also lifted the FIFA Club World Cup over the summer.
Expectations have increased around the club due to the success over the last 12 months but former star Pat Nevin believes the young squad still remain fairly inconsistent. Speaking to OLBG, Nevin said: "Chelsea will be up and down, they will be. But are they still capable of the top four? Yeah, they are. I think it'll be just as hard this season as last season.
“They beat Liverpool, the champions, so people ask can Chelsea still win it? You're thinking, yeah, they can, but they probably won't.
“There's other teams that are further ahead of them, specifically Arsenal, probably Manchester City as well. But it can be a catalyst to them doing a little bit better.
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“But remember most of the players that are in international football, they're not getting a break. They're coming back and go straight into it again. I said Chelsea will be in the top four, I'm hanging on to that.”
Chelsea are currently seventh in the Premier League and five points off leaders Arsenal. The Blues did beat Liverpool 2-1 just before the international break, though, and face Nottingham Forest, Sunderland and Tottenham in their next three league games.
Maresca has previously admitted he hopes his team can one day compete for the title. But the Italian is taking things one day at a time at the moment.
Speaking to the Men in Blazers YouTube channel, Maresca said: "I think one year ago, we were very far from the ones that dominated English football. And I think that now we are quite close, and hopefully we can continue to improve, and be even closer and try to compete for the title."
He added: "When you are at Chelsea, the target has to be always to win games and titles. This is the minimum required. So we're going to try."
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