Claudio Ranieri will use Arsenal as his yardstick as he attempts to turn Chelsea into a Premiership force.
The Italian manager, whose side face the north London club in Saturday's FA Cup final, hopes to emulate the achievements of Arsene Wenger's side in time.
"To win this final is very important for the improvement of the players," said Ranieri, who won the Coppa Italia as boss of Fiorentina and the Spanish Cup with Valencia three years ago.
"If we win they will be very sure of themselves. The improvement will happen quicker.
"But for us to get to the same level it will take time because Arsene Wenger has been at Arsenal a long time and I want to build.
"Look at the table, they are the best. I admire them and this team played very well in the Champions League, in my opinion.
"We want to work together for a long time and I think then we can do the same more or less as Arsenal.
"We want to fight for the title and go into the Champions League, we want to be a good team in England and if possible in Europe."
Whatever happens at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday, however, Chelsea will have failed to meet Ranieri's pre-season target of a top-four place and Champions League football next season.
He admits silverware from Cardiff will compensate, though, saying: "Yes, of course it would.
"But when you give everything you have, with all your heart, and there are other teams better than you, well done to them.
"Well done Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, Newcastle. Now I want to finish fifth. That's normal.
"I think it's been a good season because although my target was to go in the Champions League it was also to improve on last season.
"And I think the season is better than last because Chelsea improved the defence. We conceded less goals than last season.
"The only disappointment is we didn't win a lot of games away.
"At home more or less we have the same points as Manchester, Arsenal, Newcastle, everybody more or less.
"But the big difference is away. My target now for the next season is to improve away."
That, no doubt, includes the trip down the M4 for the 2002 showpiece, one that Ranieri believes is even.
"The final is a strange match," he said. "Everyone says that Arsenal are the favourite, but in my opinion, no. It's 50-50. Arsenal have great players, I have great players."
Meanwhile, Graeme Le Saux is fit ahead of schedule following his calf tear and should play along with Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink, who also damaged a calf last weekend in the warm-up at Middlesbrough.
