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What's the story?
Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley boldly stated that his side are along the same lines as the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool in the race to the Premier League title. Not only did he fire a warning to fellow pacesetters, but also mentioned that he is delighted by the fact that the Blues are regularly finding the back of the net.
In case you didn't know...
The 24-year-old has started to rediscover his destructive form that saw him earn the reputation of the 'next big thing' in English football. On the back of consistent yet stellar performances under new boss Maurizio Sarri, he also earned a national recall a couple of weeks ago.
The heart of the matter
But against Burnley, the Englishman was at his prolific best as he netted one goal and created two more with Chelsea taking all three points comprehensively. They beat the Clarets by 4-0, with Alvaro Morata, Willian and Ruben Loftus-Cheek finding the back of the net as well.
Sarri's troops are now on 24 points from their 10 matches, just two behind Liverpool and one ahead of Manchester City - who have a game in hand against Tottenham Hotspur.
Hailing his side's performance, Barkley remarked:
“We put in a top drawer performance today. We are growing, we have momentum game by game and we can continue to improve."
He continued with confidence:
“I am made up with how things are going, we are chipping in with the goals. I believe we can stay in the title race.”
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What's Next?
Barkley will aim to impress and build on this form when Chelsea welcome Frank Lampard and his Derby side to Stamford Bridge, before taking on Crystal Palace next weekend at home.
