Thomas Tuchel claims that while Liverpool and Manchester City have set the benchmark in the Premier League, his Chelsea side are capable of closing the gap.
It could be argued the west Londoners are on their way to doing just that. They’re currently top of the table, a point clear of the Reds in second and two clear of Pep Guardiola’s side.
In the 2019/20 season in which Liverpool won the title they finished the season with an astonishing 99 points, with City languishing behind in second on 81 and Chelsea a distant fourth on 66.
However, under Tuchel’s management the Blues have re-established themselves as a formidable force domestically and have been tipped to win a first title since 2017.
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When asked if his side were closer to Liverpool and City, Tuchel said: "Maybe for the moment. It is only nine games in. We need to prove it.
"It is not enough to prove it for nine games, we need to prove it for the season. It will take all of us. It will take all of our courage, all of our effort, all of our discipline.
"It will simply take all of us. It’s like running a marathon. This league is extremely exhausting. We have different competitions. We are up for all competitions and the best outcome in all competitions. We are trying to close the gap.
"I have no problem in admitting that there was a gap in the last seasons and that Liverpool and City set the standards. They created a certain mentality with their managers together over the years.
"We try to close it, we are confident enough to say from the first day we want to close it. This is what drives us. We will work on it because it takes a lot to keep the momentum going."
With traditional top six clubs Manchester United, Tottenham and Arsenal stuttering of late, many pundits feel the title race will come down to the current top three.
However, Tuchel is yet to be convinced with barely a quarter of the league season gone.
He added: "Like I said many times, Liverpool and City set the standards during the last four or five years and they show how consistent you have to be to collect points in this league which seems to me a fantastic effort what they did.
‘"The title race was between the two of them, it’s on us to challenge them. It is on everyone else to join the race.
"I’m sure there are a lot of teams out there that are hungry for points. There is no prediction from me on how this thing ends, on who is involved.
"We are almost through October only. November is coming. Looking at our table and fixtures in December and January, there is so much to play for."
