Emmanuel Petit, former midfielder for Arsenal and Chelsea, has ruled Chelsea out of the Premier League title race this season, stating that it is too early to consider Chelsea genuine title contenders at this stage, as this is ultimately Enzo Alonso's first season in charge of the English top flight.

Petit told TalkSport: "As I said, I'm optimistic for many reasons. I trust Alonso, and I also believe that the players are driven by a desire for redemption."

"Many squad players were disappointed last season, and I hope they perform well this season. They owe an explanation to the fans, the club, and themselves.

I think they failed in many aspects last season, but the main problem, I believe, was a lack of commitment from the players."

Petit continued: "In my opinion, if Chelsea fail to secure a Champions League place by the end of the season, it will be a disappointment. I think that's their minimum objective.

As I said, I think Arsenal have the chance to win consecutive Premier League titles. I'll say it again, Chelsea will compete for the title until the end, but it may be too early for them to be genuine title contenders that can sustain the challenge until the end of this season.

However, I believe that without the distraction of European competition, combined with all the factors I mentioned earlier, Chelsea can still win something this season."

But not everyone is pessimistic about Chelsea's title chances. Shearer still believes that even after losing to the Gunners on Sunday, the Blues still have the strength to compete for the title.

When asked who would be Arsenal's biggest rivals for the Premier League title, Shearer said on the "The Rest Is Football" podcast: "Chelsea and Manchester City. I'd lean more towards Manchester City.

Manchester United's defensive capabilities are insufficient; there's no way they can challenge the teams I mentioned."

Traduzido por IA.

O site do AF já está online! Acesse notícias completas, comentários, detalhes de partidas e estatísticas no seu computador. Acesse: www.allfootballapp.com