By mixing attacking verve with defensive resilience, Chelsea has been a class apart in the Premier league and can win the title Sunday with three games to spare.
A victory over Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge will seal the title for Chelsea, which has lost only two games and is on course to register the second-highest points total in the 23-year history of the Premier league. “I think we are what every team would like to be,” said manager Jose Mourinho, who is on the brink of winning his third English league title with Chelsea — but his first since returning for a second spell at the club in 2013.
Chelsea has also won the league Cup this season. Mourinho has molded an almost complete lineup, with the off-season additions of striker Diego Costa and central midfielder Cesc Fabregas filling the most vulnerable areas of the team. Chelsea blew opponents away with its attacking brilliance in the first half of the season. With injuries and fatigue creeping in, the Blues have been more pragmatic in the second half but the results haven’t dipped — they are unbeaten since Jan 1.
Here are some other things to know about the upcoming games in England:
PARTY-POOPERS
Crystal Palace would seem like the ideal opponent for Chelsea — a mid-table side that has lost its last two games and has little to play for. Palace, though, has been one of the most dangerous teams away from home in recent months, winning five of its last six games on its travels thanks to its attractive counter-attacking style.
FIGHT FOR SECOND
liverpool’s slump in form has virtually guaranteed that Manchester City, Arsenal and Man Utd will fill the remaining three Cl qualification.
City has climbed back to second place after winning two straight home matches and is ahead of Arsenal on goal difference. United, which is two points behind City and Arsenal, is at home to West Bromwich and is looking to bounce back from a 3-0 loss at Everton.