Former England international Ashley Cole has backed former club Chelsea to compete for the Premier League crown this season. The Blues have started off the campaign with back-to-back victories over Huddersfield Town and Arsenal respectively and Cole believes the club are capable of securing the big prize, should they maintain their consistency.
Meanwhile, Cole was also asked about the progress of another of his former clubs in Arsenal but he was not confident about their chances, given they have made a tough start to the campaign under new boss Unai Emery. The north London outfit are presently at the tail end of the standings after back-to-back defeats and Cole believes the Gunners may require more time to adapt to Emery’s philosophy, he added: “With Arsenal, there’s a new manager still, but I think the first two games they had were very, very difficult, so I think they’ll start picking up points now. To put his philosophy [Unai Emery] across and how he wants to play, I don’t think it’s going to happen straight away.”
Chelsea are scheduled to face Newcastle United in their next league outing this weekend and the match is certain to interest the Blues faithful, given the club have struggled to impress at St James Park. The Blues are winless at the stadium since 2011 and they have secured just one point during this period. On the other hand, Arsenal entertain West Ham United at the Emirates Stadium and they will be aiming to secure their first points in the post Arsene Wenger era.
