Former Liverpool defender and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher has delivered a scathing assessment of Chelsea’s Premier League title ambitions, declaring that the current squad is not capable of winning the league.
Speaking on Sky Sports on Tuesday, Carragher acknowledged the positive early impact of new head coach Enzo Maresca, but criticised Chelsea’s overall squad structure and transfer strategy over the past few years.
“I actually think Enzo Maresca has done a brilliant job since taking over,” Carragher said.
“He secured Champions League qualification in his first season and dominated PSG in the Club World Cup. That’s no small feat.”
However, Carragher didn’t hold back in his broader critique of the club’s trajectory:
“My issue isn’t with Maresca—it’s with Chelsea as a club over the past three and a half years.
How can a club spend this much and still lack an elite goalkeeper, top-tier centre-backs, and a balanced squad?”
Carragher pointed to Chelsea’s title-winning past to highlight the current shortcomings:
“Look at the goalkeepers when Chelsea won the league—Petr Čech and Thibaut Courtois. That tells you everything.
The players in key positions right now simply aren’t of that standard. You don’t win titles with that kind of spine.”
He further added that the club’s massive spending spree in recent seasons has failed to deliver a squad capable of truly challenging for the Premier League title.
“There hasn’t been a title-winning team in a century with players of this level in those roles. It’s impossible,” he concluded.
Maresca Responds
When asked to comment on Carragher’s remarks, Maresca kept his response brief and composed:
“Anyone can say what they want,” the Italian manager said.
Chelsea will look to bounce back from their 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford as they face Lincoln City tonight in the EFL Cup.
