‘Chelsea can win the Champions League and Premier League this season’

The Blues are flying high at the moment, but do they have what it takes to claim domestic and European glory this season?

Joe Cole believes Chelsea are ‘genuine contenders’ for the Premier League and Champions League titles and have shown no weaknesses at the moment.

A summer laden with expensive signings appears to have paid dividends. The Blues are unbeaten in their last 11 games in all competitions, lifting them to within two points of Premier League leaders Tottenham and Liverpool along with a spot in the Champions League last-16.

Frank Lampard’s men will be in action on Wednesday for a showdown with Sevilla in Spain. Both sides are level on 10 points at the top of Group E, meaning the winner would be in pole position to finish first.

But Cole, who won three Premier League titles at Stamford Bridge between 2003 and 2010, reckons Chelsea can aim much higher than that.

“I think Chelsea are genuine contenders,” he told BT Sport on the Blues’ Premier League and Champions League title hopes.

“I think all the English sides, you can’t discount any of them from going all the way in the Champions League because of the quality and the strength of our league.

“I don’t feel there are any weaknesses in the Chelsea side at the moment. I feel there aren’t any glaring weaknesses, there are areas to improve on.

“But if you look at the last two months, certainly since [Ben] Chilwell, [Edouard] Mendy, and [Thiago] Silva have got into the back four, the clean sheets have started to happen.

“We look safe and secure from set-pieces. So those things have improved dramatically from last season. I think there’s still areas where Chelsea can improve and they will improve.

“But certainly, I put them down as contenders to win the Champions League and the Premier League this year.”