Chelsea can ‘dominate English football’ for a decade, says Maresca

Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca believes the composition of the Blues' squad gives them the chance to dominate English football over the next five to 10 years.

Maresca's spell at Stamford Bridge is off to an excellent start, with Chelsea in third place in the Premier League – albeit nine points behind leaders Liverpool – ahead of Wednesday's trip to Southampton.

The Italian has won a total of 38 of his last 59 league matches under Chelsea and former club Leicester City (eight draws, 13 losses).

Since the start of last season, no manager has won such games in England's top two tiers (at the level of Leeds United's Daniel Farke – excluding the play-offs).

Players like Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson have played for a young Chelsea team this campaign. The thirteen youngest starting teams selected over thirteen matchdays in the Premier League this season have all been from Chelsea.

Maresca has invested heavily in recruiting young talent in just over two years under the Todd Boehly regime and believes Chelsea are destined for big things.

“What I said to the owners and sporting directors when I first met them, because of the age and because of how good the team is, for me Chelsea will be one of the teams in the next five to ten years. football is going to dominate,” he said.

“This is what I said to the club when I first met them.

“It doesn't matter who will be the manager for the next five or 10 years, because of the age and the squad you can dominate English football. I still think exactly the same.”

“As for an objective, they didn't ask me for an objective, just to try to build something important for the next few years. I think we are [heading] in the right direction.”

The Opta supercomputer gave Chelsea just a 0.2% chance of winning the title this season before a ball was kicked, but their hopes have now risen marginally to 0.6%.

Maresca still thinks this season is too early for his team to achieve a title bid, adding: “As for a personal goal, I know you find it hard to believe it, but I'm not focused on [the] end of the season, next season, because it's not real.”