Maresca Declares Six-Horse Premier League Title Race as Arsenal's Stumble Shakes Up Championship Hunt

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca believes that the "four, five, six teams" currently positioned at the top of the Premier League table should all be viewed as legitimate championship candidates.

Arsenal had established a six-point advantage at the league's peak before making the trip to Stamford Bridge in late November. A competitive 1–1 stalemate brought the Gunners back down while potentially launching Chelsea into championship contention. Both capital clubs have subsequently lost ground, with Arsenal experiencing a heartbreaking 2–1 defeat to Aston Villa just hours before the Blues were forced into a scoreless draw by Bournemouth.

Manchester City secured their third consecutive win to narrow the distance to Arsenal to merely two points. Villa, sitting in third position, trail by only three points while Chelsea in fourth place are eight points behind.

Despite his disappointment on the south coast, Maresca maintained that ample time remains for multiple position changes, with the battle for the top prize potentially involving up to six different clubs.

"The standings are incredibly close," he addressed the gathered press. "Win two consecutive matches and you're right there. Drop two and you fall back. I continue to believe four, five, six teams currently at the summit can [win two] and will all remain competitive."

Premier League Table

Accurate as of the conclusion of Dec. 6, 2025.

Current champions Liverpool sit beyond the top six following a dramatic equalizer from Leeds United that forced the struggling title defenders into a 3–3 stalemate. A clearly frustrated Dominik Szoboszlai confessed: "Last season we claimed the championship, now I'm uncertain which position [in the standings] we occupy." Eighth place is the reality, 10 points behind Arsenal despite the Gunners' loss at Villa Park.

Arteta Remains Resolute Following Villa Loss

Villa need just one victory to match the current pacesetters but Unai Emery remains convinced that his impressively performing squad isn't in the championship discussion—not yet. "Following 15 matches it's extremely challenging," the former Arsenal manager cautioned after engineering a satisfying victory over his previous club. "We aren't contenders. If we remain [in contention] at match 35 then perhaps I can discuss it."

Mikel Arteta firmly disagreed with his fellow Spanish manager. "They are [in the championship race]," he stated. "When you examine their position, their playing style, they have defeated several major teams, particularly at their ground. Everyone must face everyone, so currently they are positioned where they are and we are there too."

As Maresca noted, more than half the campaign remains and Arteta is definitely thinking long-term himself.

"If [you] believe we should be at this stage with 10 points ahead, I think we're existing in a fantasy," he remarked. "We've gone 18 matches without defeat and still we are positioned there, very near to each other. That's the standard of the competition and we understand that. That's the chance we have before us and that's all. Now it's time to recover."

Pep Guardiola Thinking Long-Term

Manchester City arguably faced more nerve-wracking situations during the past week than either Arsenal or Chelsea, yet Pep Guardiola's team still—remarkably—collected a flawless nine points. Leeds reversed a two-goal disadvantage at the Etihad before allowing a final-minute winner while Fulham scored four goals in a chaotic loss in west London under the floodlights.

Following a more straightforward 3–0 victory over Sunderland on Saturday, Guardiola remained measured. "Numerous events will still occur," he informed Sky Sports. "It depends on how we perform, not how many points we trail by. It's about your execution. The players aren't naive, consistency doesn't emerge from a single result.

"In the previous nine to 10 matches, we have performed well. We have struggled significantly but we must learn from it to prevent recurrence. When you net five goals against Fulham, you are executing positive things."