At the start of the season, it was a far-fetched idea that Chelsea would be in the title conversation anytime in the near future.

A new manager with no Premier League experience, 728293 players, a transfer model that no one could make sense of apart from the sporting directors, a racism chant that threatened to derail squad unity; nothing seemed to be working for Chelsea.

But with 14 games of the season done, the Blues sit in second place with 28 points, and once again, they look like a coherent side, as they once were under Roman Abramovich.

Enzo Maresca has no prior experience coaching a top-flight club, but he was trusted to lead this young squad in desperate need of an identity. The Italian has so far exuded a calm but firm approach, equally praising and criticising his troops while making bold decisions to ostracise the most experienced players in the group.

"I don't like how he trains!" 😤

Enzo Maresca CRITICAL of Chelsea star after Saints thrashing 😯

🔗 https://t.co/D1Md2ooX6r pic.twitter.com/GscjoKfZ0w

— Hayters TV (@HaytersTV) December 4, 2024

He might not yet have the wherewithal and tactical ingenuity of Pep Guardiola, Mikel Arteta's shrewdness, or Arne Slot's squad of seasoned competitors, but the former Leicester City man has already shown glimpses of how he wants his team to play. And boy, aren't Chelsea entertaining—they are averaging 2.6 goals per game this season.

Huge squad turns out to be a blessing

Taking in the 44-year-old's instructions is a group of 23-plus players whose average age is 23 years and 234 days old. Much had been said about Chelsea's bloated squad, but Maresca managed to whittle it down to two players in each position.

Chelsea arguably has the best squad depth in the division with Maresca having the luxury of changing his whole XI and still remaining competitive. They pumped five goals past Southampton with an in-form Nicolas Jackson watching from afar all evening.

Chelsea’s squad depth is ridiculous https://t.co/NCBL1Mw3lv

— rebecca. (@rebeccamariaxo) December 4, 2024

With the tight schedule of a game every three days, Maresca can change his squad to keep them fresh while other coaches grapple with increased workload for their players. Cole Palmer, for example, has been set aside specifically for Premier League games.

Conference League advantage

Chelsea's participation in Europe's weakest cup tournament also has its advantages, as Maresca doesn't have to field his strongest starting XI in the league phase. And they still win 8-0.

Tried and tested against last season's top teams

After 14 games, Chelsea have already played Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, Aston Villa, and Newcastle, and they are in second place. Spurs are the only team from last season's top eight that they have yet to play. They meet on Sunday.

The Blues have scored 57 goals in 22 matches in all comps this season, our best goals-per-game ratio in a single season in our history. 💙#CFC | #SOUCHE pic.twitter.com/Xrx1SaM3aK

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) December 4, 2024

Weaknesses of opponents

Looking at the opponents' weaknesses, Liverpool might be seven points clear, but this is all down to Mohamed Salah, who has had a hand in 75% of the Reds' goals this season. For how long can they profit from the Egyptian's form?

Mohamed Salah goes top of the Golden Boot rankings 🔝

His brace against Newcastle extended his scoring run to seven consecutive Premier League matches! pic.twitter.com/edVIF5XYGR

— Premier League (@premierleague) December 4, 2024

Pep Guardiola is yet to figure out how to compete consistently without Rodri anchoring his engine room, and unless Manchester City find answers to their midfield, they might struggle to maintain a challenge.

Arsenal looked lost without Martin Odegaard pulling the strings a couple of weeks ago. Mikel Arteta's side are back to full strength, but how they manage the Norwegian when the games start coming in thick and fast could determine if they finally win a title in over 20 years.

Martin Odegaard is the heartbeat of this Arsenal side ❤️ pic.twitter.com/wnVvPdV7t1

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 23, 2024

Chelsea's inexperience could be a stumbling block

Only Enzo Fernandez, Marc Cucurella and the unavailable duo of Reece James and Ben Chilwell have won a big trophy in the current Chelsea set-up, and it will be interesting to see how the inexperienced side reacts when the heat gets cranked up.

Enzo Maresca has been at Chelsea for six months and already has them in 2nd place 🔥

Efficiency 🔋 pic.twitter.com/Qr8npzjhwF

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) December 5, 2024

Their position on the table might have come sooner than expected; they might be just enjoying their football right now as they build up for next season, but forget what Enzo Maresca is saying: Chelsea are title contenders.