London, Dec 3 (NationPress) Chelsea has climbed to third place in the Premier League standings, currently tied with Arsenal in second, after their recent victory against Aston Villa. With a nine-point gap to the league leaders, Liverpool, head coach Enzo Maresca is skeptical about his team's involvement in the title race this year.

"Absolutely. Arsenal has been competitive over the last two seasons, closely contending with Man City, while we have fallen significantly behind City. Competing for the title is a thrilling pressure that both I and the players enjoy - however, that is not our current situation since Arsenal has consistently been in the mix with Liverpool and City, while we have not. I hope that we can reach that level soon," Maresca stated during a press conference.

This statement comes shortly after Liverpool head coach Arne Slot referred to Chelsea as one of the primary challengers for his team, mentioning, "They also know how to win the league against teams like Chelsea, Arsenal, and City, as I currently see those three as our main rivals."

Chelsea is set to take on Southampton this Thursday (IST) at St Mary’s Stadium. Maresca has characterized this match as one of the most formidable challenges his team will face this season.

"This will be the toughest game we have encountered since the season began, and we must be prepared, or it could be a difficult day for us.

"If you look at their results, they have been impressive, even managing to win against Liverpool. They narrowly lost to Man City 1-0 and drew with Brighton. I have a good understanding of them, and it is clear what they aim to achieve. This will be an extremely challenging match, and we must be ready," he added.