Alan Smith has ruled Chelsea out of this season’s title race and has questioned the club’s summer move for Jamie Gittens.
A number of pundits identified Chelsea as ‘dark horses’ to win the Premier League before the season started given the general positive mood around Stamford Bridge.
Enzo Maresca’s side qualified for the Champions League and won the Conference League last season before lifting more silverware over the summer at the Club World Cup.
The positive vibes continued off the pitch, with the club spending over £300m on new signings and bringing a host of talented players to Stamford Bridge.
But Chelsea have won just three of their opening seven league games to slip to seventh in the Premier League, five points behind early pacesetters Arsenal.
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Chelsea clinched a huge victory over defending champions Liverpool before the international break courtesy of an injury-time winner.
But former England striker Smith has not changed his opinion that Chelsea will fail to mount a title challenge and believes the Premier League winner will come from Arsenal, Liverpool or Manchester City.
‘As good as they were against Liverpool the other week, I don’t think Chelsea will be in it,’ Smith told Metro on behalf of BestBettingSites.
‘Man City are a bit of an unknown quantity. Maybe we thought they weren’t going to be able to mount a challenge this year.
‘But I think they might hang around and make things difficult for Arsenal and Liverpool. Erling Haaland’s absolutely flying and Rodri is getting back.
‘City are still in the conversation for me. But they might be third in line because I still see Arsenal as the favourites.
‘Liverpool were brilliant last season but they’ve got problems, haven’t they? Defensively especially. But I’d say it’s a three-horse race.’
Chelsea are still waiting to see the best from several of their summer recruits, including £52m signing Gittens.
The Blues saw off competition from several clubs to sign Gittens from Borussia Dortmund on a seven-year deal.
England U21 star Gittens has made an underwhelming start to his Chelsea career, starting just two of the club’s seven league games. He is yet to score or assist for his new club.
Gittens and Alejandro Garnacho were signed after Chelsea decided to sell Noni Madueke to Arsenal for just over £50m.
Asked whether Chelsea would be regretting their decision to sell Madueke, who has looked bright at Arsenal, Smith said: ‘Who knows how Chelsea feel when it comes to these comings and goings.
‘Jamie Gittens hasn’t been an upgrade though, he’s just been disappearing up blind alleys, and we’ve not seen the best form from him yet.
‘That was a strange move. It felt unusual at the time, and it looks even more out of place now. But that’s Chelsea at the moment, isn’t it?’
Gittens impressed in England U21’s victory over Andorra on Monday night and will hope to take that form into the weekend when Chelsea visit struggling Nottingham Forest.
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