Paul
Merson has echoed Maurizio Sarri's assessment that Chelsea are a year away
from being full strength, but believes Manchester City should be the target,
not Liverpool.
Blues boss Sarri conceded it could take his side a year to match the level
of league leaders Liverpool after their winning start to the season ended in
Sunday's goalless draw at West Ham.
Chelsea travel to Anfield on Wednesday for a Carabao Cup third-round tie -
live on Sky Sports Football - before hosting Liverpool at Stamford Bridge in
the Premier League on Saturday.
Sky Sports pundit Merson understands Sarri's one-year assessment of Chelsea
but believes everyone should be focusing on dethroning the champions.
"In that interview, I would have been saying Man City," Merson told The
Debate. "The team you've got to aim for is City. They are the ones everybody
has got to catch.
"I can understand what he's saying about them being a year away. When you
look at the defence, you have David Luiz in a back four you know he's going
to make a mistake sooner or later.
"And then there's Alonso at left-back and he plays like a left-back number
10 if I'm being honest. He just goes and does what he wants to do - when you
see the highlights and there's a simple ball out to the right he's 25 yards
further up the pitch.
"That can't happen and when they play against a top team, like they did
against Arsenal, who could have scored six or seven. When they go and play
against Man City and Liverpool, I'd be shocked if they got anything out of
those games."
Five wins and a draw from their opening six matches have seen Chelsea emerge
as third favourites to lift the Premier League trophy in May.
Much has been made of Eden Hazard's impressive start to the campaign but
Merson fears the Belgium international cannot shoulder the goalscoring
burden alone.
Asked if Giroud and Morata provide enough firepower to mount a sustained
title challenge, he added: "Giroud's a proper team player and that's the
problem.
"He reminds me a bit of Emile Heskey. When the team are winning, it is all
great and he brings people into the game.
"I think Hazard would rather play with Giroud. You could see it the week
before when Hazard got his hat-trick, Giroud was involved in a few of those
goals.
"He is a big player for Chelsea but when you draw 0-0, the stats appear and
they are not very good.
"Giroud's a good finisher. He's not one of those players that doesn't bring
anything to the party bar getting in the box and scoring goals, like Ruud
van Nistelrooy used to do.
"Giroud's not like that - but when the team doesn't win, the stats begin to
appear and people start digging."
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