Virgil van Dijk and Alisson mission, Enzo Maresca's superb start - Are Chelsea title contenders?

Are Chelsea genuine title contenders? A question where you may be laughed at given the last few seasons at the club but one we should be asking now we are more than a quarter of the way through the season.

Enzo Maresca has settled in seamlessly to life at Stamford Bridge, with his side currently sitting in third in the Premier League table after the opening 11 matches of the season. With 19 points on the board out of a possible 33, it has been a splendid beginning to the campaign.

However, can they keep this sort of form up? Will there be a slip-up, as everyone seems to be predicting? Well, the football.london panel discuss and debate Chelsea 's title credentials below...

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Bobby Vincent

On paper, man-to-man, Chelsea have one of the strongest squads in the Premier League. The depth Maresca has at his disposal is incredible - especially in the attacking areas.

Considering he has had to implement a brand-new style - a complex one at that - to his young squad of players, Maresca has done so well. The feel-good factor is back at Stamford Bridge and that is testament to the job the Italian has done.

Saying all of this, though, I do think they are a couple of top players away from challenging the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool. Robert Sanchez is not good enough to be a Premier League-winning goalkeeper, in my opinion, and they could probably do with another centre-back as well.

Look at what Liverpool did under Jurgen Klopp. They were a promising side with some really good players but they needed the defensive solidity in order to climb to the next level. The Reds then went out and signed Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk - for big money - who were at the time, and there can be respectable arguments to say they still are, the two best in their respective positions in the world.

I think Chelsea need to do that. It probably is not going to be in January because we all know how difficult it is to strike deals during the mid-season window. But next summer could be key in order for Maresca to take his team to a higher level.

This season, finishing in the top four is an undeniable success. If the Blues can add the UEFA Conference League to the club's remarkable trophy cabinet as well, then that is a bonus.

Tom Canton

Well, Arsenal's draw at Chelsea which saw them remain on the same number of points as the Blues saw many claim this kicked them out of the title race. Therefore if this is indeed the case, surely Chelsea cannot be in it either?

The reality also works in reverse and this, I feel, is the case for the Gunners who have navigated the toughest away fixtures already with only Anfield and Old Trafford remaining; come the end of the year they could very well be in a different position. What Arsenal have that perhaps Chelsea don't is the more recent experience of battling with Manchester City and Liverpool.

Chelsea need to manage to embed some consistency in their form to solidify their hopes of competing this season. This has been an elusive characteristic under previous coaches but Maresca has been more successful in attempting to find it.

He certainly has the depth in his squad thanks to the billion-pound-plus invested by his higher-ups, and this is definitely a necessity in the Premier League should a side have hopes of winning it. That said, I still feel Chelsea are somewhat short of a title challenge and over the next couple of months that reality will show itself in the table.

With the way it is poised, a drop of points in the next game could see Chelsea plummet several places. There remains plenty of football still to play.

Joe Doyle

I don't think Chelsea are going to win the Premier League. It's certainly possible, but I don't see them challenging this season.

That's not to say that they've done or will do badly - Maresca has got a tune out of his players so far this season. But I don't think they'll get enough consistent results to put together a strong title challenge unless the top teams aren't as dominant as they have been over the last five-10 years.

The reality of the Premier League is you need to be putting together at least 85 points these days to consider a title challenge - and more likely above 90. Chelsea are currently on course for something around 70. Not a bad total, and it would likely see them around the top four, which would represent good progress after last season.

But a title challenge is probably beyond them at this stage.