'Are you f*cking kidding me?' - Enzo Maresca slammed for saying Chelsea are ahead of schedule as Blues legend calls accuses Jadon Sancho of 'deceiving'

Chelsea made a strong start under new coach Maresca and were considered contenders to win the Premier League title until December. Their form, however, took a massive dip since last month and their latest 3-0 defeat at the hands of Brighton leaves them with just two wins out of their last nine league clashes.

In an interview with Sky Sports in January, Maresca claimed that they are ahead of schedule in terms of fulfilling the club's target for this season as set by the owners. He said: "The club asked to play Champions League in two years. If we are able to bring this club after one year, it will be fantastic. In the next five to 10 years, Chelsea will be one of the teams, or the team, that is going to dominate English football."

Speaking on The Obi One Podcast, former Blues midfielder Obi Mikel said: "Who the f*ck has told them that? Are you f*cking kidding me? This is Chelsea Football Club. You can't be ahead of the f*cking schedule, this is the f*cking Chelsea Football Club, no disrespect to Leicester where he's coming from, this is f*cking Chelsea Football Club. We are a Champions League football club, that's what we are.

"He can't come out and say if the club employ you, if they've told you that, no, mate. This is a Champions League football club. We've always been in the Champions League. I can swear to you right now I've never watched a f*cking game in the Conference League. I've never watched it, I don't care about it, that's not who we are."

He added: "We are a Champions League football club. So for me, for him to come out and say we're ahead of schedule, no you are not. We should be there. I think that comment that the manager made that we are not contenders to win the Premier League, that has got into the players' heads and the whole thing since then has been a f*cking disaster. We have no clue what we're doing."

The Nigerian also slammed Manchester United loanee Sancho for a series of underwhelming performances as he added: "I watched the games, the game against West Ham was even worse than the game against Brighton. Against Brighton There was no character, there was no intensity, there was no leaders on the pitch.

"There was no one telling Jadon Sancho, Sancho the first the first goal you should have tackled for that, there was no one telling Sancho what the f*ck are you doing? He's deceived us with a good couple of games, you know we thought oh f*cking hell now we're getting this Jadon Sancho from Dortmund but he's gone again. He's disappeared off the grid. He takes the ball he doesn't go past people, anymore he doesn't create chances anymore you know he doesn't he doesn't help the team as much as he should be."

The London side will aim to get back to winning ways in the Premier League on Saturday as they take on Aston Villa away from home.