Jose Mourinho made the not-so-bold claim last week that this Chelsea squad has what it takes to win the Premier League this season. Having played down his side’s chances of success last term, the ‘Special One’ seems much happier having made changes to his squad this summer.
Mourinho has made four additions to his team, all of whom would appear to have a big part to play in Chelsea’s season. Diego Costa is likely to continue as the focal point of Chelsea’s attack after scoring against Burnley on his competitive debut, while Cesc Fabregas is expected to fill the big shoes of Frank Lampard in midfield after his fine assist for the Blues’ second goal at Turf Moor. The Blues are now 6/4 favourites with Paddy Power to win the title come next May.
Filipe Luis was one of the best defenders in Europe last season and will only improve a strong backline, while Didier Drogba’s return could be a stroke of genius if he can chip in a few vital goals from the bench.
Chelsea also have something of a new signing in Thibaut Courtois, who looks to have the potential to be better than Petr Cech, who is now 9/4 to leave for Monaco.
The Blues look to be very strong in every area of the pitch now, with Mourinho having a quality reserve to fill the void should one of his main stars be unable to play. You only have to look at the players Mourinho let go this summer to see how much faith he has in his squad.
He allowed stalwarts Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard to go, while Romelu Lukaku was sold to a rival in Everton. The transfer of David Luiz to Paris Saint-Germain is perhaps Mourinho’s finest work in the transfer window, though, given the fee the French side paid and the scars Luiz carries from the World Cup.
If you match Chelsea’s squad up with any of their title rivals, the strength in depth is there for all to see. Only Manchester City can boast a squad that can match the Blues in terms of quality in every department. Therefore, it stands to reason that it will be City and Chelsea fighting it out for the title again this season, with the rest someway behind.