Enzo Maresca sets timeline for Chelsea to 'dominate' the Premier League | OneFootball

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has predicted that the ambitious west London club will "dominate English football" in the next five to ten years, but they aren't in this season's title race.

The Italian coach has repeatedly quashed any suggestion that his side can compete with Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool in the battle for Premier League glory this season. Cole Palmer echoed that sentiment even after the Blues moved level on points with the Gunners this weekend.

Despite his short-term pessimism - or realism - Maresca is confident that his young and expensively assembled squad can compete for the biggest prizes in the long term.

Speaking ahead of Chelsea's trip to bottom-placed Southampton, the Blues boss revealed: "What I said to the owners and the sporting directors the first time I met them, because of the age, and because of how good the squad is, for me Chelsea in the next five to ten years will be one of the teams, or the team, that is going to dominate English football.

Enzo Maresca's Chelsea side are unbeaten in their last six matches across all competitions / Robin Jones/GettyImages

"This is what I said this to the club the first time I met them. No matter who will be the manager, for the next five or ten years, because of the age, the squad, you can dominate English football, and I still think exactly the same."

Chelsea spent more than any other team in world football over the summer, sinking almost £200m into nine permanent transfers. This hefty investment has not come with any specific objectives for Maresca from the club's hierarchy. "In terms of a target they didn't ask me for any target, only to try to build something important for the next years," the former Leicester City boss claimed. "I think we are [heading] in the right direction.

"In terms of a personal target, I know you struggle to believe but I'm not focused on [the] end of season, next season, because it's not real."