Even after their Club World Cup triumph over the summer, few had pencilled in this Chelsea side as serious Premier League contenders this season.

A sluggish start to the campaign, which featured just two wins in their first six league games, seemed to confirm that Enzo Maresca ’s youthful squad were too early in their journey to be competing for silverware.

And yet, just two months later, how the tables have turned.

In sweeping to a comprehensive 3-0 win over Barcelona at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, Chelsea laid down a marker that suggested they are more can capable of going head-to-head with the best teams in Europe.

The Blues have now lost just one of their last eleven games in all competitions and have kept four clean sheets in their last five matches.

Mikel Arteta wil

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