Virgil van Dijk has given his opinion on how far Chelsea can go this season and explained the secret behind their sensational start under Enzo Maresca.
The Italian boss took over from Mauricio Pochettino at Stamford Bridge this summer after the west London side dropped to a disappointing sixth place last season.
A summer of chaos followed with a number of high-profile arrivals and departures and a host of players, including Conor Gallagher, being placed in a 'bomb squad' as Maresca looked to trim his bloated squad.
But Chelsea have started the season well, winning nine of their first 15 games, leaving them behind only high-flying Liverpool in the Premier League.
They closed the gap on Sunday by beating Tottenham Hotspur 4-3 in a tense encounter after the Reds' match against Everton was suspended.
Now Liverpool captain Van Dijk has broken his silence on Chelsea's title hopes and given an insight into what makes Maresca's men tick.
He said: 'I don't think they fly under the radar. Obviously with the team they have and the players they have. The players who can come off the bench.
'Of course we can talk about inexperience, but they have the quality, they have the players to make it difficult for any team and that's what they have done, so they are definitely at the top.
“I think they showed it.”
Chelsea are currently fighting on two fronts and are making a perfect start to their Europa Conference League campaign despite major changes in every match.
Their final match in the competition involves an 7,000-mile round trip to face Astana in Kazakhstan on Thursday and Maresca has named just eight first-team players in its squad for the arduous journey.
It remains to be seen who will make Maresca's starting line-up in the city of Almaty, where temperatures are expected to be minus 11 on the day, but a combination of several young players and seniors are expected.
Chelsea have now landed in Kazakhstan after a 10-hour flight that saw 12 academy stars travel along with eight first-team players as the Blues look to maintain their 100 percent winning start to the competition.
Harrison Murray-Campbell, Kaiden Wilson, Tyrique George, Kiano Dyer, Harrison McMahon, Samuel Rak-Sakyi, Ato Ampah, Max Merrick, Lucas Bergstrom, Josh Acheampong, Shumaira Mheuka and Richard Olise – brother of Bayern Munich star Michael Olise – were the young people who made the journey.
Summer signing Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is one of only two senior midfielders to travel as he targets more starting opportunities, while Pedro Neto is expected to lead Chelsea's attack.
Meanwhile, 18-year-old Acheampong is among those set for his first senior start after positive progress was made in his contract standoff, with the 18-year-old previously frozen out.
Those traveling will then have to head back for a quick turnaround ahead of their Sunday evening clash with Brentford in the Premier League.
Liverpool, meanwhile, remain at the top despite last Saturday's Merseyside Derby being canceled due to Storm Darragh.
They have made a remarkable start to the season under new manager Arne Slot. They won eleven of their first fourteen games to go four points clear at the top with a game in hand, while also sitting top of their Champions League group.
Captain Van Dijk is a potential departure from Anfield this summer, with less than six months to go before he can leave as a free agent in June 2025.
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