Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has expressed confidence that Manchester City will return to the top of the Premier League table while dismissing Blues title aspirations.

City, who have dominated English football in recent years with four consecutive league titles, are currently languishing 12 points behind leaders Liverpool. However, Maresca, who previously served as an assistant coach under Pep Guardiola at City, believes their current struggles are temporary.

“Manchester City at the end will be there,” Maresca said. “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 percent because they have just come back from injury, so it is a very bad situation.”

Despite Chelsea’s strong start to the season, sitting second in the table, Maresca has consistently downplayed any title talk.

“It is not about the title pressure for the players, the club or for me, it is just the reality. I would like to have that kind of pressure and hopefully soon we can, but the reason why I said we are not there yet, is because the reality is that we are not,” he stated.

When asked if Liverpool are now the favourites for the title, Maresca acknowledged their strong start but emphasized the importance of experience.

“No, the reality says we are second at the halfway point, so the table does reflect the teams. But Liverpool have done a fantastic job since the first day, and the squad has lived that kind of moment, winning a trophy, which is important,” he said.

“Last year, when Liverpool faced Chelsea in the Carabao (League) Cup final I saw the amount of finals that Liverpool players had played in, and the number of finals Chelsea players had played in, and there was a huge difference. So it shows the experience you need, but we are happy to be where we are.”