While the jury is still out on whether Chelsea can win the Premier League title this season, most believe that the Blues do not have the necessary qualities to go all the way.
Chelsea go into the international break on the back of an impressive victory against defending champions Liverpool.
They currently find themselves in seventh place, just five points behind table-toppers Arsenal.
Additionally, under Enzo Maresca, the Blues have performed significantly better in cup competitions, winning both the Club World Cup and Conference League last season.
However, James is not ruling them out of the Premier League title race.
The former Liverpool and Portsmouth midfielder believes that Chelsea can compete for the Premier League title this season if they can curb their habit of getting players sent off.
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David James urges Chelsea to keep their players on the pitch
At the moment, Chelsea do not look like title-contenders. While Maresca’s men were able to beat the current champions, they lost back-to-back games against Brighton & Hove Albion and Manchester United prior to that.
That was down to getting players sent off in both matches, though. If Chelsea cuts that out, James thinks they can compete for the title.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Football Daily, the ex-Liverpool and England star said: “I think they are genuine title contenders if they keep themselves on the pitch.”
While Maresca was shown a second yellow for his celebrations against Liverpool, Joao Pedro was sent off in Chelsea’s 1-0 win against Benfica in the Champions League.
Additionally, Trevoh Chalobah and Robert Sanchez picked up red cards against Brighton and United, respectively.
While Chelsea are undoubtedly a better team with all their players on the pitch, James’ claim of them being title contenders might just be a bit premature at the moment.
At the moment, the Chelsea squad does not have a reliable goalkeeper, is plagued by injuries at the moment and lacks experience.
Those are three reasons why Chelsea are unlikely to get their hands on the Premier League crown in the current campaign.
Chelsea news and related links
- Former Chelsea star makes shocking claim about Cole Palmer's Ballon d’Or chances
- Jamie Carragher’s blistering verdict leaves Chelsea fans with questions
- Enzo Maresca delivers his verdict on Alejandro Garnacho's performance against Lincoln City