Cesar Azpilicueta believes Chelsea are ready to fight on all fronts in the new season, saying they have the necessary quality to compete in every competition they are in.
The arrival of Maurizio Sarri directly affected Azpilicueta’s position in the defence but having started in all three league matches of the Blues so far, the Spaniard remains a stalwart in their backline. With all of these matches ending in victory, Chelsea have made a magnificent beginning under Sarri, prompting talk of a title challenge by the West London side under the former Napoli manager.
Azpilicueta insists such thought maybe premature with stiff competition against rivals but the Spaniard admits winning a third Premier League title in five years is always at the back of their minds. “We know how tough it is to even qualify even for the Champions League,” said the fullback. “Man City created a big gap with the other teams, and it’s up to us to fight for the title.
“Chelsea have our own pressure. We know we have won two of the last four Premier Leagues, and our standard is really high. We are in August, until May there is a big path to work, and we will see how far we can go.”
Their latest match against Newcastle, in which the West London club grabbed a last-gasp victory at Saint James’ Park, sees Chelsea occupy third in the standings behind Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur on goal difference, while Azpilicueta marked the occasion with his 200th appearance in a Blues shirt.
Despite the great start of his side, Azpilicueta believes the real fight for the title will begin after the international window when the Blues and their rivals will be juggling domestic competition with the continental ones and the fullback insists his side are well-equipped with enough quality to deal with their busy fixtures list.
“After the international break we will be playing every three days,” continued the Spanish international. “It changes completely with Europe, with the cups, and we have to be ready. We have a good squad and we have been working really hard with the manager. We have the level to fight for everything.”
