Stiliyan Petrov says Aston Villa's sights this season are set on a top four finish.
He said: "We're not in the title race because other teams have been there for a long time and know what it takes to be champions.
"We're just trying to break between them and show that in years to come we can challenge."
Villa meet Chelsea and new boss Guus Hiddink on the back of a 3-1 FA Cup defeat at Everton and a 1-1 UEFA Cup draw with CSKA Moscow.
Petrov added: "Chelsea will want to come here and still be in the fight for the title.
"You can say a five-point gap would be a lot but also that it's not. We still need to play Manchester United and Liverpool.
"Finishing third would be great but if we need to play a qualifying game, we'll take that."