Five reasons Chelsea won the Premier League title easily this season
Costa, Fabregas, Hazard and Terry were key men in a season of triumph for Mourinho
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Your support makes all the difference.The fast start
A flat end to their 2013-14 season drove Chelsea into the transfer market last summer, looking for the attacking quality and experience they lacked. They spent a combined £60m on Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas and were instantly a different team.
Jose Mourinho returned to Chelsea in 2013 promising to play “pass and move football” but it was only at the start of this season, with Costa and Fabregas in the side, that he managed it.
It took 20 minutes of their season for it to become clear this was a different Chelsea. They were drawing 1-1 at Burnley when André Schürrle finished off a 25-pass move on the way to a 3-1 win. Then they won 6-3 at Everton, put four past Swansea City and scored three against Aston Villa.
Fabregas was excellent, directing play from alongside the imposing Nemanja Matic in midfield. Mourinho said Chelsea “were waiting for a player with his characteristics”, and it is easy to see why.
Costa was a phenomenon, Mourinho’s dream striker, combining physicality, technique and a feral edge. He scored nine goals in his first seven Premier League games and Chelsea have not looked back since.
“Let’s not forget that the first half of the season, up until Christmas, we were the best side by far,” John Terry last week. “The football we played with Fabregas and his assists, that goal at Burnley, and after that, that football was different class.”
The campaign
Costa’s hamstring started to play up, though, and Chelsea lost their edge in the autumn. As Mourinho spoke after the 1-1 draw at Southampton on 28 December, Manchester City were beating Burnley 1-0 and seemed about to close the gap at the top to just one point.
So Mourinho railed against the “front-page scandal” of an unawarded penalty and said there was a “clear campaign” against his side. “People, pundits, commentators, coaches from other teams” were all accused of a double standard that was allegedly costing Chelsea decisions and therefore points.
Burnley went on to equalise, and City never recovered, but that was not the point. Mourinho was on a war footing, stoking the siege mentality that was to see his team through a difficult winter.
When Costa stamped on Liverpool’s Emre Can in the Capital One Cup semi-final second leg, Mourinho started again, railing against Sky Sports, and Jamie Redknapp in particular. He cancelled his next press conference and annexed the Goals on Sunday studio to make his case. It may not have been edifying, but it was certainly effective.
Eden Hazard
Whatever happened off the pitch, whenever any of Chelsea’s other stars were injured, suspended or out of touch, there was always one guarantee: the reliable abilities of Eden Hazard.
Mourinho spent last season talking about how Hazard needed to make the step up from a “top talent” to a “top player”. When he let his runner go and cost a goal in last May’s Champions League semi-final defeat to Atletico Madrid, Mourinho hammered him. This is what the Portuguese calls “confrontational leadership”, and it has been rewarded this year.
Hazard has been, without any question, the best player in England this season. He has done what Mourinho demanded, taking responsibility on the pitch, demanding the ball and delivering results when no one else could. Hazard has 19 goals so far, including winners against Manchester United, West Ham United, Queen’s Park Rangers and Crystal Palace. He scored the equaliser at Southampton when Chelsea were wobbling, made Fabregas’s late winner at Loftus Road, and single-handedly terrified Arsenal at Stamford Bridge.
Having questioned his attitude last year, Mourinho is now delighted with the man he has dubbed his “humble star”, always producing even when Fabregas and Costa have faded. “He understands clearly that, especially in a moment where the team doesn’t have all its power,” Mourinho said, “he understands that his talent is fundamental for the team.”
The strategic turn
While having Hazard meant that Chelsea were always dangerous, injuries and suspensions threatened the balance of the team. So in the spring Mourinho changed tack, to a more “strategic” approach, designed to lockdown games in the way he knows best.
Chelsea faced Tottenham in the Capital One final, and two months on from losing to Spurs 5-3 he would not accept another defeat. Kurt Zouma came into midfield, Chelsea shut Spurs down and won 2-0. This was the winning mentality Mourinho thrives on, and he wanted more. “I need to feed myself with titles,” he said, “this is important for me and the boys.” This week, he pointed to that afternoon: “When they have the taste of success, big players want more. Win a title, it brings more.”
Since that New Year’s Day defeat by Tottenham, Chelsea have played 15 Premier League games, winning 11, drawing four and conceding eight goals. Mourinho has admitted it has been “more strategic, less artistic” compared to their first half of the season. But it has been just as effective, ensuring they hold onto their lead and shut out any challenge.
“Things went against us,” Terry explained, “and the manager came up with the way to get us through games. That is where he’s at his best.”
John Terry sees them home
This is the time of year when experience counts, and no one has been more present or more important than Terry. Two years ago he was frozen out by Rafael Benitez but now he seems more resilient and more permanent than ever. Frank Lampard has gone, while Didier Drogba and Petr Cech now have supporting roles. Terry, though, is still there.
Mourinho spoke on Friday about his enjoyment of “the final push”, counting down the victories to the title, and clearly his captain does too.
Terry was excellent in the 1-0 defeat of Manchester United last month and the goalless draw with Arsenal eight days ago that killed off any threat of a title challenge.
After that game at the Emirates, Mourinho said it was the best he had ever seen Terry play, almost 11 years after they first met. Terry and Mourinho won titles together in 2004-05 and 2005-06 – and now they have a third.
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Mourinho at the Bridge - his Chelsea record
Premier League 2005, 2006, 2015
FA Cup 2007
League Cup 2005, 2007, 2015
League title triumphs
2004-2005
Made instant impact in his first season as the club won their first championship title for 50 years. Clinched the league with three games to spare with 2-0 victory at Bolton, going on to win division by 12 points. Went through the season unbeaten at home.
2005-2006
His second successive league title was sealed with two games still to go, as they earned a 3-0 home win over Manchester United. Won league by eight points and once again went the whole season unbeaten at home.
2014-2015
Mourinho earned his third title triumph with the London club. It is his eighth title in 12 years with Porto, Chelsea, Internazionale and Real Madrid.
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