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Saturday 11 January 2014

Why Chelsea May Win The EPL

Having seen Chelsea's consummate and confident performance against Hull City this afternoon, there will undoubtedly be some alarm bells ringing in Manchester and North London.
Chelsea dispatched Hulls with relative ease, putting on an efficient show of organised defending and lethal counter-attacking. Goals from the in-form Eden Hazard and Fernando Torres secured a 2-0 win for the Blues and Mourinho praised their 'solid'performance.
This makes it five wins on the trot for the special one's side and they now sit top the Premier League for the first time since September.
Admittedly, Manchester City and Arsenal have yet to play their respective games but the signs are increasingly promising for Chelsea.
Hazard has been in spectacular form over the past few months and that continued today, bringing his goal tally for the season to 11 with the opener at the KC Stadium.
He is starting to mature into the player Mourinho probed for back in August and his recent commitment to Chelsea should appease worried Blues fans. His continued form could well hold the key to the teams prolonged success.
One goal conceded in six games is a record not to be sniffed at either, with the central defensive partnership of Gary Cahill and John Terry proving critical to that new-found stability.
Cahill has bloomed under Mourinho and, although Terry remains the natural leader in the team, there is a growing confidence about the 28-year-old's play.
Cesar Azpilicueta looks like Ashley Cole's natural replacement at left-back and his foraging runs from deep provide additional width for Chelsea to exploit.
David Luiz was deployed in the midfield holding role for the second time this season earlier today and, once again, looked imperious.
His ability to pick a pass is wasted in defence and many Chelsea fans see him as a successor to Frank Lampard. He can run, pass and shoot with the ball, making him a versatile pivot to utilize in the middle of the park.
It is now up to the Brazilian to convince Mourinho that he can be the new Claude Makelele.
Torres looks sharp, with his goal today making it three from four starts in the Premier League.
For all the talk of signing a new striker, Torres looks like a man revitalised under Mourinho. His hold up play is improving and the Spaniard seems confident that he is the number one striker.
Chelsea will still need to buy a striker, either in January or the summer, but they must not forget that they have a very capable goalscorer already on their hands. 
These factors are, arguably, the most potent weapons Chelsea have at their disposal. Mourinho is playing a very clever game, understating the clubs aims for the season and removing all the pressure from the players.
Chelsea march on in the hunt for the title with a huge game at home to Manchester United next weekend. Should they beat the champions, it would be foolish to bet against them for the Premier League crown despite City and Arsenal's strong starts.

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