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Enzo Maresca continued to insist Chelsea cannot win the Premier League title after they moved to within two points of the summit with a 2-1 win over Brentford at Stamford Bridge.
The head coach cited the visitors’ goal scored in the 90th minute which set up a tense finish as evidence his team cannot compete for the crown but after a dominant display to earn a fifth league win in a row it was increasingly difficult not to see them as the main challengers to leaders Liverpool.
Marc Cucurella headed his second goal for the club just before half-time then Nicolas Jackson looked to have finished off Brentford when he lashed inside the near post in the 80th minute, before Bryan Mbeumo took advantage of a defensive slip to jangle home fans’ nerves.
“No matter how many games we are going to win, I think we’re not ready to compete for the title,” said Maresca. “One of the reasons is I think the team that knows how to compete to win titles will not concede a goal like we concede.
“On 90 minutes, a throw-in for us and we concede a goal. A team that knows how to win titles, that goal they’re not to going to concede. It’s why I continue to say that we are not ready for titles.
“Even if you don’t believe me. I would love the pressure to compete for the title. But we cannot concede the goal we concede and open the game and give them the chance to take a point here.”
Cucurella, who played much of the game in midfield and continued his remarkable rise to become one of Chelsea’s best players this season, was sent off after the final whistle, shown a second yellow card for confronting Brentford’s Kevin Schade, and will serve a one-game ban.
“The referee said the second yellow card was for bad attitude,” said Maresca. “I was with the coaching staff celebrating so I didn’t see anything.
“We could do many things better. The way to manage some moments, probably this is one of the moments we can improve. The spirit of the team, sometimes you can receive some yellow cards, probably the second one is not the correct thing to do. It’s things that we need to improve.
“Cucu will be suspended and there’ll be another one in his place. Pedro (Neto) was suspended tonight and Noni (Madueke’s) performance was top. When they are suspended, another one will play.”
Brentford boss Thomas Frank, whose team lost for the seventh time in eight away games, reflected on a contest he felt his side were unlucky to lose.
“We were unlucky not to get at least a draw,” he said. “Our second half was fantastic, we went more or less toe to toe with number two in the Premier League, one of the favourites to win the title. Look at their players, the money they’ve spent.
“We were hugely impressive and we were very unlucky not to get a draw. It meant a lot to them so we must have caused them a lot of trouble.”
