In round 13, the focus will be on the match between Chelsea and Arsenal. While the Gunners are in the lead, The Blues are also close to 2nd place with 6 points. Speaking before the big derby with Arsenal, coach Maresca said it was too early to announce his Chelsea team as a championship candidate: For me, its too early to evaluate. It is now November, with five or six months left. The important thing is where we are. It will not be until March that we can know what we can do.
But Arteta disagreed with Maresca's point of view. He believes Chelsea are capable of competing for the Premier League. The Spaniard said: I think we are all there, and Chelsea are there because they are completely worthy of what they have done over the years.
I think the squad they gather, the number of players, the quality of players, the number of coaches, all show that what is happening there is very, very positive. They definitely deserved to be there.
The Arsenal coach even did not hesitate to admit that he likes to watch Chelsea this season: "They were the team that attacked best last season, but because the current season is still early, the assessment is still unclear. But this is the team I like to watch the most. They play flexibly, create threats and have many talented players. They are very clear about what they want to do and that is why they are so tough.
Before the big match, both Chelsea and Arsenal were in extremely good form. While the Gunners beat Bayern Munich 3-1, the blue half of London also beat Barcelona 3-0 in the Champions League.
