Enzo Maresca claims 'no one asked me to compete for a Champions League spot' at Chelsea as he reveals main goal for 2024-25 season

Chelsea started the 2024-25 Premier League campaign with a loss against Manchester City, but they made a statement with a strong comeback in their second outing as they thrashed Wolves 6-2 by playing an attractive and attacking brand of football. Maresca, however, is unwilling to set any target for the team at such an early stage in the season as he clearly stated that he is not under pressure to win the league or secure a top-four spot.

Speaking to Chelsea's official website, the manager said: "For us, the target at this moment is to improve players. No one from the club asked me to compete for the Premier League or compete for a Champions League spot. They just asked me to improve the players and improve the team. The most important thing is to be better game after game. Also, the target is to solve the economic problem in terms of selling players. From there, we try to do our best and see where we arrive."

The former Manchester City assistant coach further dissected his team's performance from the Wolves clash as he added: "In some moments we started to see our team. There are many things the players are still learning. Sometimes we can play quicker, sometimes slower. It’s with time we are going to improve. We started one-and-a-half months ago.

"When there is space in behind, we need to attack in behind. When teams sit back, there is no space in behind and it’s difficult. We need more passes, more process. I want to see my team play the way we want to play and compete every game. This is the most important thing. I want to see on the ball a clear idea of what they want; and off the ball, a very aggressive team."

The west London side will now aim to secure their place in the Europa Conference League group stage as they next take on Servette in the second leg of the play-offs round on Thursday night. Maresca's side have a two-goal lead from the first leg.