Emmanuel Petit believes Chelsea are not yet ready to challenge for the Premier League title this season. The former midfielder insists that Xabi Alonso's side must at least secure a Champions League spot.
After three matches, Chelsea currently find themselves in fourth place. The team started the season brightly with two wins but suffered a 2-1 defeat to reigning champions Arsenal, marking Alonso's first loss in charge in an official match.
Petit shared his thoughts with talkSPORT:
I'm feeling optimistic for many reasons. I believe in Alonso and truly believe the players want to make amends.
Many of them were disappointed with last season, so I’m expecting a solid response from the team. They owe it to the fans, the club, but most importantly to themselves.
They underperformed in many aspects last season, but primarily, in my opinion, they lacked commitment.
Petit views a return to the Champions League as the bare minimum for Chelsea:
For me, it would be a failure if Chelsea do not qualify for the Champions League by the end of the season. I think that's the least they should achieve.
As I've already said, I expect Arsenal to win the Premier League for the second consecutive season. Chelsea will compete for the title, but it might be too early to say the team can truly stay in contention until the very end this season.
Nevertheless, the absence of European competitions and all other factors make me believe that Chelsea can achieve serious results this season.
