Chelsea exceeding expectations but Maresca wants more

Chelsea's players have been able to implement Enzo Maresca's style of play quicker than the Italian manager expected, but he said on Tuesday that the team still had room for improvement ahead of a Premier League game against Southampton.

Maresca was brought in earlier this year and tasked with returning Chelsea to the Champions League, after the London outfit finished sixth last season and 12th in the 2022-23 campaign.

Chelsea are third in the standings with 25 points from 13 games, level with second-placed Arsenal and nine points behind leaders Liverpool.

Asked if he was surprised at how well his side were doing, Maresca said: "For sure. I still consider this a big job, but this doesn't mean, because it's a big job, you are not thinking to do the right things.

"In terms of expectation, we are ahead of my expectation, in the way we are playing and in terms of results. We started four or five months ago; it's very, very, very, very early, a short time together.

"But the best feeling I have is that there are many things we can do better and we are (going) in the right direction."

Chelsea will be looking to extend their five-game unbeaten run in the league when they host bottom-placed Southampton, but Maresca warned that the south-coast club's position in the standings was not indicative of their actual level.

Liverpool and Manchester City were both made to work for their narrow wins over Southampton in recent weeks, while Russell Martin's side also managed a draw with fourth-placed Brighton & Hove Albion in their last league fixture.

"We need to be ready otherwise it will be a bad day for us and the reason why is because, if you analyse the results, they are there," the Italian manager said.

"The way they have played since last