Football - Premier League: Unbeaten or not, the title is out of reach for Sarri's Chelsea squad

After an often dire 0-0 draw with Everton this weekend, Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri has downplayed Chelsea's title hopes.

“In this moment, the average points of City and Liverpool is very high – I think about 100 points,” said Sarri.

The game capped a recent series of Chelsea performances that did not meet their initial impressive pace.

And, while they remain undefeated in third, in contention for all trophies, a gap is starting to develop between the Blues, and Liverpool and Manchester City.

Titles are not won in November, and there are doubtless twists and turns ahead. But Sarri is right in what he says.

On the present rate of accumulation, Liverpool are heading for 95 points; while City look destined for 101.

Both of those would be a record: City beating the all-comers points tally they set last year; and Liverpool eclipsing Manchester United's 2012 record of 89 for a second-placed side.

Prior to last season, only one side in Premier League history had ever made it into the 95-point club: that was Chelsea, in setting the previous record back in 2005.

This is already a two-horse race: with Chelsea the most likely leaders in a pack of stragglers, likely to finish several furlongs behind.

Since that debut Premier League title win, Chelsea have taken home the trophy four times: with totals of 91, 86, 87 and 93 points.

Realistically, none of those would be enough to finish even second this time around: with Sarri's side presently setting a course for third-place with 88 points – which would be a record.

None of this should cause too much surprise.

Setting aside the two outlying seasons of 2016 (Leicester) and 2017 (Antonio Conte's Chelsea), the Premier League has tended to be contested at the top end by those who have spent the most.

Chelsea, in their transfer dealings over the last few seasons, made it clear some years back that they are not even at the same table when it comes to spending.

This last summer, Liverpool's net transfer spend was almost twice that of Chelsea's. And, while City had a relatively frugal closed season, their spending over the last few years has given them more than adequate playing resources to set them apart from the rest.

Lest anyone think this is a complaint about the state of modern football: there is nothing new in this. And money talked in the pre-Premier League era too: Liverpool's 1980s dominance was not based entirely on their spending prowess; but it certainly didn't hinder their progress.

As already mentioned, it is not a given that money equals success: as proven by that strange Premier League period between August 2015 and May 2017.

That point is reflected in Chelsea's own history: arguably, the club should have win more titles than it did between 2005 and 2012.

But the magnitude of current spending at the top end, and the difference between that and a fast-developing class of also-rans, does diminish the likelihood of shock results.

Such dominance becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy: and we have seen plenty of incidences, over the last two seasons, of teams taking on Manchester City with the only aim being to avoid a thumping (and, as a result of such a strategy, usually getting one).

Chelsea know all this: hence their present situation.

Sarri was recruited, as a manager unproven both in the Premier League and in winning things, to secure top four.

While Arsene Wenger was much mocked for his assertion that 'fourth place is like a trophy'; realistically today, anything up to four sides are now competing for third and fourth in the Premier League, to get a seat at the Champions League table.

Chelsea lead that following pack: and it seems to have been a pragmatic decision of the club, in its recruitment, to position itself just there.

Managing expectations, a key job of many a Premier League boss, may become one of Sarri's biggest tasks in coming months.