I am sure I don’t have to remind you but in case you have somehow forgotten the Premier League is back this weekend and it should be one of the best seasons ever.
For the first time since its inception there are five genuine title contenders this year and they all play different styles of football which should lead to some classic matches.
Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool all harbour realistic ambitions to lift the trophy but only one side can make that dream a reality and I believe that side will be Chelsea.
Here are my five reasons why:
1) Diego Costa
Last year Chelsea didn’t have a striker in any sort of form and still managed to finish 3rd.
Fernando Torres looked lost as soon as he reached the box, Demba Ba was used mainly as a substitute and Samuel Eto’o poached well but offered little else so a striker was top of Jose Mourinho’s agenda and he has signed a cracker.
Diego Costa may have looked poor at the World Cup but in truth he was no where near fully fit and having decided to swap Brazil for Spain it was never going to be easy for him.
I watched Atletico Madrid a lot last year and was very impressed as they won La Liga and were a couple of minutes away from Champions League glory too. Costa played a huge part in those achievements with no less that 35 goals in 44 games.
The beauty of Costa is that he is an all-rounded player. Not only does he have two good feet but he is superb in the air and with Hazard and company behind him and supplying him with ample opportunities he will take more than most.
2) Jose Mourinho
A great manager is essential when a side is challenging for the title and Chelsea have one of the best.
Mourinho managed to finish third last year and after a few months he was already planning for the following season. This is his second spell at the club and in his first he managed to win the title in his second season, a good sign for the Blues.
Mourinho is very popular and obviously respected unlike other managers in the league so getting the players to train hard won’t be a problem. Jose has a phenomenal record at every club he has been at, having amassed 20 titles so far.
The Portuguese coach is one of the few managers who didn’t have an illustrious playing career but that hasn’t hampered him and his tactical prowess is second to none. Jose is known as the special one and let’s see if he lives up to that reputation once again.
3) Playmakers
Last year Chelsea created a lot of chances but there wasn’t anyone to finish them. With Costa that has now been changed and he will thrive off the support he has at his new club.
Willian, Andre Schurrle, Oscar, Ramires, Cesc Fabregas, Mohamed Salah and Eden Hazard are all vying for starting places in behind Costa and what a nice predicament that is for Jose. With the exception of Salah, all of the others were in Brazil so they shouldn’t be rusty and have an upper hand on their opposition.
I expect Hazard to start the majority of games as he regularly terrified defences last year and is key at set pieces, but I want to see more of Schurrle this year. The German really impressed me in the World Cup as he helped his side win the trophy and he stood out on a couple of occasions. Schurrle is not afraid to have a dribble or shot and is a very good finisher, as we saw last year with a hat-trick against Fulham.
Having creative players is so important and a lack of them can be catastrophic, as we saw with Man United last year. The abundance of them allows Mourinho to use a rotation policy throughout the long season with Champions League glory in the forefront of his mind too.
4) Fast start
Getting off to a quick start will be important for the ‘Big Five’ and Chelsea have a great chance to get off to a very fast start.
The Blues commence their season with a trip to Turf Moor, to take on Premier League new boys Burnley. This is followed by a home game against Leicester, another newly promoted side.
Nothing less than six points will be accepted by Mourinho as their third game is a tougher trip to Goodison Park.
After Everton the next two home games for Chelsea are Swansea and Aston Villa, on paper this should be another six points and if that is achieved the fast start would have been achieved. There is the small matter of Man City away in between those games and that could give us an early indication of who will be the side to beat this year but after City’s showing, or lack of, in the Community Shield, Mourinho can enter that game with positive game plan.
5) Strength in depth
The final advantage Chelsea have is an amazing amount of strength in depth all over the field.
Mourinho did his business early so his team can adapt to a new system and he has done it well. I do think they need a bit more back up in the forward department but if Costa can stay fit then there shouldn’t be a problem.
Petr Cech and Thibaut Courtois are arguably two of the best goalkeepers in the world and are fighting for the number one shirt this year.
In defence, Chelsea may have lost David Luiz and Ashley Cole, but they have found wonderful replacements in Kurt Zouma and Filipe Luis who will work well with the incumbent John Terry, Gary Cahill, Cesar Azpilicueta and Branislav Ivanovic.
I have already spoken about the strength of attacking midfielders that Chelsea possess but the likes of Nemanja Matic, Marco Van Ginkel and John Obi Mikel can all slide in ahead of the back four and bring stability when necessary.
Finally, the strike force may not have age on their side with Torres and Drogba both on the wrong side of 30 but they don’t lack experience and goals, so if required I am sure they will chip in with some pivotal contributions throughout the season.
There you have it. They are the five reasons why I firmly believe Chelsea will be the side to beat this year and if they can avoid injuries to key players they could well be on for a double or even treble this year.
Come find me on Twitter @olliegs64 and let me know your thoughts.