Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has downplayed talk of chasing second place in the Premier League ahead of Sunday’s showdown with Arsenal, insisting that his team is fully focused on the immediate challenge at hand.

Chelsea, currently fourth in the league standings with 49 points from 28 matches, trail second-placed Arsenal by six points. A victory at the Emirates would help close that gap, but Maresca remains cautious about looking too far ahead.

“But they can also be nine points (ahead). At the moment they are six. We are not focused on that,” Maresca told reporters.

Instead, the Chelsea boss is concentrating on securing a crucial win against Mikel Arteta’s side before considering any larger ambitions.

“We are just focused on how we can do our game, how we can try to beat them and then hopefully we can do that and we can be more close,” Maresca added.

While acknowledging that finishing second could be an achievable goal, he emphasised the importance of taking it one match at a time.

“Yes, it (second place) could be a target for sure. It’s our duty to do our best, but at the same time I think the target for us right now is Sunday’s game, and then game after game to see how we can get closer.”

Chelsea will head into the clash knowing that a victory would not only strengthen their top-four hopes but also keep them in contention for a late-season push up the table.