Levi Colwill believes Chelsea cannot consider themselves Premier League title contenders following a disappointing end to December, which saw them held to a 0-0 draw by Everton, beaten on Boxing Day by Fulham, before suffering a 2-0 defeat against Ipswich Town at Portman Road on Monday.
The West London side appeared poised to challenge Liverpool for the top spot in the league but saw their ambitions take a hit after a three-game winless streak closed out 2024. Colwill stated that such results do not reflect the performance of a team vying for the title, reinforcing Maresca’s earlier remarks that Chelsea are not in the running for the Premier League crown.
“If you’re in the title race, you don’t drop points in December, like we did last three games,” the England defender told Sky Sports.
“That’s the experience. Hopefully we will be there maybe next season, maybe the season after, but I don’t think we’re running this season.”
The last time Chelsea endured a longer losing streak was between April and May 2023, during Frank Lampard’s second stint as manager, when they lost four consecutive games. Determined to bounce back, Chelsea will aim for redemption when they face Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Despite the setbacks, Maresca’s side remains firmly in fourth place, three points ahead of fifth-placed Newcastle United and just two points behind Nottingham Forest in third.
Colwill emphasizes that Chelsea are focused on their progress as a team and not distracted by external discussions about a potential title challenge.
“We all know where we are as a team,” he continued. “Of course, there’s a lot of talk in the outside world but we don’t buy into that.
“Confidence hasn’t changed, morale hasn’t changed, we just take it game by game. All of that, that’s going on, inside the changing room we have those conversations and we know where we are.”
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