Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has urged fans to be patient with the team, promising it is only a matter of time before they are ready to challenge at the top of the Premier League table.

The Italian is the sixth coach to have led the team since Todd Boehly’s Clearlake Capital consortium bought the club two years ago, and he is preparing to kick off his tenure at home to Manchester City on Sunday 18 August.

“With time, we are going to close the gap. Hopefully it can happen very soon,” Maresca said in his pre-match press conference, adding that he wants Chelsea fans to be the “12th man” this season.