Cole Palmer has explained why he doesn't think Chelsea are title contenders this season, despite the club's superb start to the campaign under new manager Enzo Maresca.
The Blues are currently exactly level with Arsenal in second place in the Premier League having picked up 25 points from a possible 39.
Maresca's side are two points ahead of reigning champions Manchester City, who are fifth, but trail high-flying Liverpool by nine points.
Following Chelsea's 3-0 win over Aston Villa on Sunday, the Italian coach downplayed suggestions that his side could contend for the title this term.
"I think we are not ready to compete with Liverpool, Arsenal, and City for many reasons," he said. "We are not ready for that."
"But the good thing is that we are improving and hopefully very soon we can be there," he added.
Palmer, who scored a superb goal and set up another for Enzo Fernandez against Villa, echoed Maresca's words in a post-match interview with Sky Sports.
"If we keep winning, I'm sure we'll be near the top four," he said.
Now, speaking with Chelsea's official website, the Englishman has explained exactly why he doesn't think Chelsea can challenge for the title.
"Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal have been together for more than five years, whereas we’ve only been together for a season," he said. "We just want to keep going and winning the games."
Palmer on Hasselbaink: "Jimmy is a legend"
Palmer's strike versus Villa means he has now scored 30 Premier League goals in just 46 games for Chelsea since moving to Stamford Bridge from Manchester City last summer.
Only one player in Chelsea's history – Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink – has reached that total quicker.
The Dutch striker scored 30 in his first 41 games for the Blues following a £15 million switch from Spanish giants Atletico Madrid in 2000.
Commenting on coming close to beating Hasselbaink's record, Palmer said: "I didn’t know about that [record]."
"Jimmy wasn’t a bad striker to be fair!" he joked. "I don’t know about the records until anyone tells me! Jimmy is a legend at Chelsea and the Premier League."
This isn't the first time Palmer hasn't known all that much about Chelsea's attackers from days gone by.
Earlier this season, he was asked about comparisons with Blues legend Gianfranco Zola, who made 312 appearances for Chelsea between 1996 and 2003.
"I know he's an icon on FIFA so he must have been good," Palmer said. "I didn't really watch him play but everyone says he was a great player."
Fortunately, Zola saw the funny side, and when the two recently met at Cobham to shoot a video for the Premier League's official YouTube channel, they joked about the moment.
During their meeting, Zola also thanked Palmer for his exploits for Chelsea.
"Thank you for everything you're doing for my club," the Italian said. "I'm looking forward to seeing more."
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