Watch Liverpool v Chelsea in the Carabao Cup live from 7pm on Wednesday on Sky Sports Football
Tuesday 25 September 2018 16:23, UK
Paul Merson has echoed Maurizio Sarri's assessment that Chelsea are a year away from being full strength, but believes Manchester City should be the target, not Liverpool.
Blues boss Sarri conceded it could take his side a year to match the level of league leaders Liverpool after their winning start to the season ended in Sunday's goalless draw at West Ham.
Chelsea travel to Anfield on Wednesday for a Carabao Cup third-round tie - live on Sky Sports Football - before hosting Liverpool at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on Saturday.
Sky Sports pundit Merson understands Sarri's one-year assessment of Chelsea but believes everyone should be focusing on dethroning the champions.
"In that interview, I would have been saying Man City," Merson told The Debate. "The team you've got to aim for is City. They are the ones everybody has got to catch.
"I can understand what he's saying about them being a year away. When you look at the defence, you have David Luiz in a back four you know he's going to make a mistake sooner or later.
"And then there's Alonso at left-back and he plays like a left-back number 10 if I'm being honest. He just goes and does what he wants to do - when you see the highlights and there's a simple ball out to the right he's 25 yards further up the pitch.
"That can't happen and when they play against a top team, like they did against Arsenal, who could have scored six or seven. When they go and play against Man City and Liverpool, I'd be shocked if they got anything out of those games."
Five wins and a draw from their opening six matches have seen Chelsea emerge as third favourites to lift the Premier League trophy in May.
Much has been made of Eden Hazard's impressive start to the campaign but Merson fears the Belgium international cannot shoulder the goalscoring burden alone.
Asked if Giroud and Morata provide enough firepower to mount a sustained title challenge, he added: "Giroud's a proper team player and that's the problem.
"He reminds me a bit of Emile Heskey. When the team are winning, it is all great and he brings people into the game.
"I think Hazard would rather play with Giroud. You could see it the week before when Hazard got his hat-trick, Giroud was involved in a few of those goals.
"He is a big player for Chelsea but when you draw 0-0, the stats appear and they are not very good.
"Giroud's a good finisher. He's not one of those players that doesn't bring anything to the party bar getting in the box and scoring goals, like Ruud van Nistelrooy used to do.
"Giroud's not like that - but when the team doesn't win, the stats begin to appear and people start digging."
Watch Liverpool v Chelsea live from 7pm on Wednesday on Sky Sports Football.
