By Robert O’Connor, PA
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’ 90th-minute goal that set up a tense finish as proof his side can’t challenge for the crown, but after a dominant display to earn a fifth league win in a row, it was becoming increasingly difficult not to see them as the main challengers to leaders Liverpool.
Marc Cucurella headed home his second goal for the club just before half-time, then Nicolas Jackson looked to have finished off Brentford when he smashed in at the near post in the 80th minute, before Bryan Mbeumo capitalized on a defensive lapse to rattle the home fans’ nerves. .
“No matter how many games we will win, I think we are not ready to compete for the title,” said Maresca. “One of the reasons is that I think the team that knows how to compete to win titles will not concede a goal that we concede.
“In 90 minutes, a throw-in for us and we concede a goal. A team that knows how to win titles, that goal they won’t concede. That’s why I keep saying we’re not ready for titles.
“Even if you don’t believe me. I would love the pressure of competing for the title. But we can’t concede the goal we concede and open the game and give them the chance to get a point here.”
Cucurella, who played a large part 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,” Maresca said. “I was with the coaching staff celebrating so I didn’t see anything.
“We can do a lot of things better. The way we handle certain moments, probably this is one of the moments we can improve. The spirit of the team, sometimes you can get some yellow cards, probably others are not the right thing to do. Those are things which we need to improve.
“Cucu will be suspended and there will be another one in his place. Pedro (Neto) was suspended tonight and Noni (Madueke’s) performance was top. When they are suspended, someone else will play.”
Brentford boss Thomas Frank, whose side lost for the seventh time in eight away games, reflected on a competition 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 the number two in the Premier League, one of the favorites 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.”
