Chelsea are -10000 with 888Sport to win the English Premier League and claim their first title in the second Jose Mourinho era. The Blues 1-0 win over Manchester United means they are 10 points clear at the top of the table with six games of the season remaining. With a better goal difference than second-placed Arsenal two more wins will get the job done. Please click here to see the latest standings.
Eden Hazard scored the winning goal against United and the Belgian looks a good thing to be voted player of the season. He had an average World Cup with his national team in Brazil last summer but he has emerged as Chelsea’s best player as they strive to be champions of England for the first time since the 2009-10 season. For those betting on soccer William Hill is a good site.
Mourinho believes Hazard is one of the best three players in world football. He ranks him alongside Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo and his form for Chelsea this season makes him a strong favourite to end the season with the vote from his fellow professionals as the best in the league.
Chelsea will win the title if they beat Arsenal next Sunday and Leicester three days later. United are now too far off the pace to get in the mix and Manchester City have dropped out of contention. These sides other than Leicester will now almost certainly qualify for the Champions League and the only other issue is the order they finish though Chelsea look booked for first place.
United had the better things in the opening exchanges but did not create too many clear chances. Chelsea gradually got into the contest which was settled by Hazard’s goal after 38 minutes. The score was the finishing touch to the best move of the match in which United were marginally the better side yet Mourinho’s teams know how to close out and manage the key fixtures.
Jose Mourinho’s Record
In Mourinho’s four seasons after a first complete campaign in charge at a club he has won the domestic championship. Chelsea’s 2014-15 edition are not the best side he has managed but from the opening matches becoming England’s top dogs has been well within their capabilities. Last season’s squad did not suit Mourinho’s style of play but they still finished just four points behind the champions, Manchester City. You can see last season’s final standings here.
The lack of a striker was seen as a major issue but Diego Costa was recruited from Atletico Madrid and Blues legend Didier Drogba returned to the club to add his support. Drogba worked hard in the absence of Costa last weekend but United coped until the clinical move which ended with Hazard’s shot that decided the showdown.
Costa has now scored 19 league goals and only Sergio Aguero and Harry Kane have scored more. A minor injury means the Spanish player will now find it difficult to become the first overseas player to be top goalscorer immediately. Even in his brief absence Chelsea will win the Premier League and could even clinch the title with four games remaining after the Leicester match.