Chelsea target an unbeaten season

 

See if Chelsea retained the top spot in this week's edition of Shaka's Power Rankings.

Chelsea's recent convincing victory over Arsenal underlined the Blues' Premier League title credentials and highlighted the all-round strength of the squad Jose Mourinho has fashioned since he returned to Stamford Bridge ahead of last season. Against the Gunners, Mourinho's men dominated every position, and even the loss of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois did not upset the equilibrium of the side as they out-thought, outmuscled and outplayed their opponents from start to finish.

The win saw Chelsea head into the international break riding high at the top of the table with 19 points from seven games, a goal difference of plus-14, and a five-point cushion over Manchester City. The Blues are the only unbeaten side in the top flight, so the question is: can they go all the way without tasting defeat? Cynics will say it's too early to tell. But is it?

The feat has only been achieved once in the modern era. In 2003-04, Arsene Wenger's Arsenal won 26, drew 12 and lost none of their 38 games, scoring 73 goals and conceding 26 in the process, as they finished the campaign with 90 points. It was a notable achievement, one perhaps that both Wenger and the Gunners have been living in the shadow of ever since.

Two factors were key to their success. Firstly, the strength of Wenger's established squad, which had been bolstered by the summer signing of goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, and second, the quality of the opposition Arsenal faced. Chelsea were undergoing massive transition following the club's acquisition by Roman Abramovich and finished runners-up on 79 points.

Meanwhile, reigning champions Manchester United finished third, four points further back. The Red Devils struggled to maintain their form in the second half of the season following the eight-month ban imposed on Rio Ferdinand for missing a drugs test. Liverpool, with manager Gerard Houllier in his sixth and final season in charge at Anfield, finished a distant fourth on 60 points. For the record, Manchester City were 16th.
Eleven years on, there are some interesting parallels to be drawn with that season which have Blues supporters purring with optimism at the possibilities.

Similarity one: Mourinho enhanced Chelsea's already-strong squad last summer by signing Cesc Fabregas and Costa and ending Courtois' on-loan apprenticeship with Atletico Madrid. All three players have blended well with the rest of the team, which has a settled, confident, happy look about it.

Could Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa be the catalysts for a truly historic Chelsea season?

Similarity two: The quality of the opposition isn't what it might be. Of the usual suspects, it is the turn of Man United to be the team in transition, while Liverpool lack cohesion at the back and are missing Luis Suarez, Arsenal look short of ideas and reigning champions Manchester City lack consistency and also appear distracted by the Champions League.

Last season, Chelsea finished third despite having beaten both City and Liverpool home and away and taking four points apiece from Man United and Arsenal. Mourinho's men were undone by lacklustre performances against supposed weaker teams, and losses to Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Sunderland during the run-in were symptomatic of the malaise.

Those setbacks often came about because of problems in front of goal; oh, how Mourinho lamented his side's inability to kill off the opposition. Now, in Diego Costa, he has a clinical finisher. Simply speaking, Mourinho has raised the bar at Stamford Bridge, and Chelsea are playing at a different level to their domestic rivals and look flawless by comparison.

 There is no doubt that the Special One will be supremely motivated to have the Blues tagged "Invincible" come the end of the season, but why be satisfied with just the Premier League? What about the Champions League, the FA Cup and the League Cup?

The Champions League remains unpredictable and maddening as mercury to Chelsea supporters. Man United were the last team to lift the trophy without tasting defeat: Sir Alex Ferguson oversaw nine wins and four draws in the 2007-08 competition when Chelsea were beaten finalists in Moscow.
Last season, victors Real Madrid stumbled to a 2-0 quarterfinal second-leg defeat in Dortmund but prevailed 3-2 on aggregate. In 2013, winners Bayern Munich lost 2-0 at home to Arsenal in the last 16, securing the tie on away goals courtesy of a 3-1 victory at the Emirates. Mourinho could lead the Blues to a Berlin triumph in June, but to go unbeaten is a tall order, perhaps too tall.

In 2003-04, Arsenal's "Invincibles" also reached the semifinals of both domestic cup competitions before losing to Man United in the FA Cup and Middlesbrough in the League Cup -- could Chelsea go all the way this time around? No English side has ever won the domestic treble, let alone gone unbeaten.
Could Mourinho mastermind the hitherto impossible with Chelsea? Why not? The stars look dreamily aligned. A perfect domestic season would forever secure the Special One's place at the top table in the pantheon of managerial legends.

Epl 01:04