They are not ready — Ex-Ivory Coast and Chelsea star claims inexperienced Blues not close to rivals

Chelsea entered the new season with plenty of optimism following their FIFA Club World Cup triumph and another transfer window of significant spending.

However, the reality is that the squad at Enzo Maresca’s disposal is nowhere near the level of Manchester City or Arsenal.

Despite the vast investment and flashes of individual brilliance, a 15-point gap has already opened up between the Blues and the top of the table.

While the project at Stamford Bridge is built on signing young players with huge potential, Kalou believes the missing ingredients are experience and psychological resilience.

"No, [Chelsea are not ready to win the Premier League] not at the moment. Arsenal and City are ahead in terms of structure, experience, and mentality," Kalou said in an interview with Duelbits.

"Chelsea have exciting young players, but they’re still learning how to manage games and handle pressure."

The Ivorian’s assessment highlights a recurring theme this season: Chelsea’s tendency to falter in high-stakes moments. Having dropped more points from winning positions than almost any other side in the top half, the lack of a "finishing instinct" has become a significant hurdle.

"The potential is there for the future, but this season they’re not ready to go toe‑to‑toe with those two over 38 games," Kalou added.

Kalou is not the only ex-pro who believes the Blues are short on experience and top-level quality. Former Newcastle striker Alan Shearer was equally as brutal in his assessments of Chelsea's shortcomings.

Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, the former Newcastle striker argued that the squad possesses "glaring holes" that only elite recruitment can fix.

“I think they’re lacking a top-class No.9 and a top-class centre-half, I think, as well,” Shearer said.

"I’m not saying that [Joao] Pedro and [Liam] Delap can’t do it, but I think to get to that elite level and challenge for the Premier League, then I would say they’d probably need a top-class centre-forward and centre-half.”

Chelsea travel to the Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City in their first game of 2026.