In case a reminder was needed; it is September. It is way too early for Chelsea fans and players to even say the word “title” yet.
It should go without saying that after just four matches the table lies. The table lies after 10 matches. Frankly, the table lies at least until February.
Take the Blues last season for instance. After the last match of 2017, the Blues were in second. Far off Manchester City sure, but in second. A month later, on 1 February? The Blues had sunk to fourth and were barely clinging on.
Frankly, nothing short of a 15 point lead makes anything certain. And even that in itself is not certain. So when fans and players start using the word title in September, it is a dangerous idea that is more likely than not going to end in disappointment. The table lies, and it lies are strongest in September.
Look at Liverpool for example. They are chest thumping to the tune of beating three teams who finished in the bottom half last season and one that barely was in the top half. Look at Watford who is currently tied for first. It is easy to forget that Newcastle and Brighton started hot last year as well before fading after the break.
So no, the Blues are not in a title race because there is not one right now. It is equally likely that West Ham rebound and finish first as it is the Blues maintain their lead. Because the table lies.
It is good, however, that the players are setting a goal. The goal going into the season was top four, but it is even better to at least be in the title race. Maurizio Sarri set that bar during his first press conference when he said they needed to still be in contention for everything in March.
But Sarri is also wise enough to not get carried away. He has dismissed the meaning of the table at this point and rightly so. Chelsea is tied for top in part because of luck and in part because they simply have better players than the opponent. Sarrismo is, at best, running at 50 percent of its full capacity. There is room for improvement and the Blues should chase that target rather than the big target at the top.
More or less, this Blues side feels a lot like Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in his first season. The Blues have a new manager with ambitious tactics that take time to learn. There will be growing pains and sometimes the Blues will win despite that. But ultimately, they will still be growing as they chase the top. It would be great if Sarri could get Chelsea up and running better than Guardiola got City in year one, but the goal is top four. Once that is achieved, the Blues can look up.
Calling a title race now is a mistake. Four games is not a good enough sample size to make such sweeping statements. What is important right now is seeing the right trends. Improvement and fight are the trends Chelsea has to show every match. So far, they have shown just that. If they are still showing it in February and March, then the title race can be whispered about.