LONDON — While Liverpool’s rapid ascent and Manchester City’s unexpected decline dominate the headlines, it’s easy to miss Chelsea’s rise to third place in the English Premier League.

Still, Chelsea’s manager Enzo Maresca is quick to dismiss any title aspirations. “No. I’d really like to say, ‘Yes, we are there,’ but we are not there,” he stated recently.

However, there is no denying the progress made at Chelsea. Not too long ago, the club was often in the news for its high turnover of coaches and extravagant spending, paired with inconsistent on-field performances.

Currently, Chelsea heads into their match against Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge with an unbeaten streak of four matches in the Premier League.

The team has only suffered two losses in twelve league outings — losing 2-0 to City on opening day and 2-1 at Anfield last month. Chelsea finds itself nine points behind league leaders Liverpool and just one point behind the defending champions, City.

“It’s nice to see the team improving, that is important. It’s a good feeling, but at the same time you have to be realistic,” Maresca commented on the current situation.

Maresca has become Chelsea’s fourth permanent manager since the club was taken over by American investors in 2022. He identifies Liverpool, City, and Arsenal as teams ahead of Chelsea, noting that it’s not strictly about the points.

“For me, it’s not about the points or the table. It’s about the process, the program — five years together, nine years together,” he elaborated, referencing the long tenures of Mikel Arteta at Arsenal and Pep Guardiola at City.

While Arne Slot is in his first season as Liverpool’s manager, the team has shown little change from the one that thrived under Jurgen Klopp. Arsenal shares the same points total (22) as Chelsea, which highlights the competitive nature at the top of the table.

Maresca, a former assistant to Guardiola at Manchester City, was appointed Chelsea’s manager after successfully guiding Leicester back to the Premier League.

“You can see the difference between us and the rest at this moment,” he noted. “This doesn’t mean that we are not going to compete or that we are not going to win games. For sure we are going to continue doing that until the end. But the main focus right now needs to be on the feeling that we are improving game after game.”

Recently, Chelsea secured a 2-0 victory over Heidenheim in Germany, maintaining a perfect record in the third-tier UEFA Conference League.