Chelsea are four points behind leaders Liverpool while Man City are 12 adrift, but Maresca believes Pep Guardiola’s side are still in the race. Enzo Maresca has backed Manchester City to bounce back into Premier League title contention and said it is “just reality” that Chelsea are not in the hunt themselves.
![[Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk has not played for a month (Zac Goodwin/PA)]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/12/24/14/776f5b0667e4e31b37aeb22df0aefd04Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzM1MTM2NjY2-2.77131980.jpg)
Maresca’s Blues host Fulham FC on Boxing Day lying second in the table, and are only four points adrift of leaders Liverpool, having played one match more. City have won the league for the past four seasons but they have been cast 12 points adrift of the summit following a miserable run which has seen them lose nine times in their previous 12 outings.
However, Maresca, who worked alongside Pep Guardiola at the Etihad, said: “Manchester City at the end will be there. They are in a moment that has never happened before. “Every time they play a game, they have an injury, and they don’t have enough players in this moment. And the ones they have are not 100 per cent because they have just come back from injury, so it is a very bad situation.
“We are ahead of our expectations, in terms of the way we are playing, and the points we have, but the main focus is how we can improve the players and how we can improve the team.”. Maresca, who has continually played down his side’s aspirations for glory, added: “It is not about the (title) pressure for the players or for the club or for me, it is just the reality.
