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Moises Caicedo believes it is "too early" to label Chelsea title challengers after the Blues laid down a marker with a dramatic victory against Liverpool on Saturday.
Despite an indifferent start to the season, Chelsea now find themselves just four points off the Reds after Estevao Willian’s 95th-minute winner at Stamford Bridge.
After a fourth-placed finish last season, head coach Enzo Maresca is looking to push his side on even further this time around, with some suggesting the young squad could push the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City this season.
Caicedo, who opened the scoring with a superb strike on Saturday evening, has played down such suggestions, but also detailed the squad’s ambition this term.
"It is too early to say we are going to win," said Caicedo. "For sure we want to win the Premier League. We will take it step by step because the Premier League is tough, but we are going to do our best.
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"We’ve shown our quality, we’ve shown our character on the pitch. We want to continue this moment."
Caicedo's performance level at the moment has everyone singing the Ecuador international's praises. Not least Gary Neville, who said on his podcast after the Liverpool game that Caicedo is currently the best midfielder in the Premier League.
"I'm breathing before I say this because I'm trying to think of players like Declan Rice and others, but I think he [Caicedo] is the best midfielder in the league at the moment and I am comfortable with that," Neville said. "Sitting here now, going into October 2025, I think we can say Caicedo is the best midfielder in the league."
While Caicedo sent Stamford Bridge into uproar with a piledriver into the top corner on 14 minutes, all of the talk has been about the eventual match-winner Estevao, who scored his first goal for the Blues since arriving from Palmeiras in the summer.
The 18-year-old is one of the Premier League’s most exciting talents and has settled in seamlessly in west London.
While the last-gasp strike was Estevao's first competitive goal in English football, his performances up until then have been mightily impressive, though Chelsea are being cautious with how they use the teenager as he continues to adapt to a new club, country and culture.
Caicedo came across as unsurprised when asked about the impact Estevao made against the reigning champions Liverpool at the weekend.
"It’s a great feeling that Estevao scored, he is doing a great job here," Caicedo said on his teammate. "We are happy with him.
"You can see on the pitch, even in training, he is so good, he is showing his quality. We have tried to help him because the Premier League is so different and he’s making an impact here. We are so happy with him here."
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