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Manchester City cruised to a record-breaking title win last season, with Pep Guardiola's amassing one hundred points, finishing nineteen points ahead of second-placed Manchester United and leaving all their rivals trailing in their wake.
The 2018/19 Premier League campaign already looks to be a much tighter affair, with Liverpool getting off to a perfect start after investing heavily into the squad during the summer. City, however, may also find competition in the form of Maurizio's Sarri's Chelsea, who despite their underwhelming draw against West Ham, remain unbeaten after six games.
A repeat of their victory against the Reds in the Carabao would send the Blues to the summit and also sow a seed of doubt in the minds of Liverpool and Manchester City supporters. The win against Jurgen Klopp's side was a reminder of Chelsea's newly-found determination as well as the quality they possess in their ranks, with Eden Hazard stealing the headlines after single-handedly deciding the game with a remarkable solo effort.
The majority of Sarri's squad are familiar with the feeling of lifting the Premier League title, which could prove vital in the latter stages of this arduous and taxing nine months. Chelsea do, of course, have their weaknesses, especially regarding their frail defence and Sarri's lack of experience winning silverware. Here are three reasons, however, why many should include Chelsea in their list of favourites for the league title if they beat Liverpool.
#1. Chelsea already have title-winners in their team
Every Premier League title-winning team over the years has possessed both technical ability and a winning mentality. This particular Chelsea side fit the mould of a league title winning team perfectly, with Eden Hazard, Willian, Ngolo Kante, Marcos Alonso, Cesar Azpilicueta and David Luiz are all well rehearsed when it comes to succeeding in England's top division, with Hazard, Willian, Kante and Azpilicueta all two-time champions.
Chelsea's first season under Antonio Conte started off in an underwhelming fashion, with the Blues suffering 3-1 and 2-0 defeats to Arsenal and Liverpool respectively. The London club, however, got their campaign going with Conte adjusting from a 4-3-3 to a 3-5-2; a change which helped his side go on an unprecedented 13 match win streak, with the Italian winning 30 out of 38 games in his first Premier League season. The players also showed the character and fight needed to make amends for the poor start and prove critics wrong after a disastrous campaign the season before under Jose Mourinho.
Chelsea, despite finishing outside of the Champions League places, secured their eight FA Cup win after defeating Manchester United 1-0 at Wembley, with this victory proving Chelsea's ability to have success, despite experiencing adversity in on and off the pitch.
#2. Europa League will not take its toll on the players
One of the main contributors to Chelsea's title win two years ago, involved the lack of European football which allowed the Blues to have a direct hit at the Premier League title. The squad had a week to rest and prepare ahead of each game, allowing them to play at maximum intensity for the whole nine months. Maurizio Sarri's are not free of European commitments this time around, with Chelsea having to play in the Europa League on Thursday nights. Although the Europa League reduces the recovery time for those travelling, it should not prove too taxing early on, given the lower calibre of opposition the Blues have to face in the initial rounds.
Chelsea's group contains PAOK, BATE Borisov and MOL Vidi; all respectable teams that do not have much chance of eliminating the Blues from the competition at this stage. Manchester City and Liverpool, on the other hand, have to contend with the more demanding and rigorous Champions League, with the Reds having to negotiate a nightmare group.
Although Liverpool made it all the way to the final in Ukraine, they faced a relatively comfortable run to the last two, with Manchester City the only side that looked capable of troubling Jurgen Klopp's side. Chelsea's players are likely to be fresh and energised come March or April, with Sarri able to rest key men against weaker opposition until the Europa League's latter stages.
Eden Hazard's talent and skill
This week must go down as one of the best in Eden Hazard's career, with the Belgian making it into the Fifa Team of the Year alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. The 28-year-old followed that up by scoring the winner against Liverpool in the Caraboa Cup, with Hazard completing a neat one-two before bamboozling Alberto Moreno and rifling the ball past compatriot Simon Mignolet.
His ability to waltz past players and retain the ball despite pressure from attackers makes him one of the leagues' most dangerous attackers. Kevin de Bruyne played some awe-inspiring football on Manchester City's way to the Premier League title, with the Belgian providing extraordinary assists and scoring spectacular goals just as regularly. Hazard had the same impact in Jose Mourinho's title win in 2015, with the Belgian winning the coveted PFA Player of the Year award.
