Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri does not believe that his team stand a chance of finishing above Manchester City in the Premier League table this season.
Chelsea have made an unbeaten start to their 2018-19 Premier League season - collecting 28 points from their 12 matches to sit third, just four points off the league leaders City.
Sarri, however, has said that the Citizens are 'above every team in the Premier League this season', and the Italian is not confident when it comes to finishing ahead of Pep Guardiola's side.
"No. For me they are stronger than us. We have to work very hard just to try to recover the gap, but at the moment the gap is still there," Sarri told reporters.
"We have to do it. We can recover, but I don't think in the first season we will be able to recover 30 points (distance Chelsea finished behind City last season). In the Premier League, there is a team above the others. This team is Manchester City.
"Then there is a very good team - Liverpool. For sure Liverpool will be in the first four positions. Then there is four or five teams who will have to fight for the Champions League positions. Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham, [Manchester] United."
Chelsea will resume league action after the international break with a trip to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.
Matt Law
