The Premier League is supposed to be the most exciting in the world
-- but there's something a little too predictable about it all this
season.
A decade ago, Arsenal won
the title without losing a single game and was hailed as 'invincible'
as it triumphed in 26 of its 38 fixtures.
Now, 10 years later,
there is a feeling that a new generation of invincible players are ready
to emerge -- and they are wearing the blue of Chelsea.
Another victory on
Wednesday night, this time against Tottenham, takes Chelsea's unbeaten
run to 14 league games and 21 in all competitions this season.
Jose Mourinho's side sit six points clear at the top of the table ahead of Manchester City, the defending champion.
Ostensibly, this is a
two-horse race with Manchester United and Arsenal already well off the
pace and Liverpool enduring a dismal start to the campaign.
City, 4-1 winners at
Sunderland courtesy of another couple of goals from the irrepressible
Sergio Aguero, are still in the hunt, but there is something about this
Chelsea side which makes it look so imperious.
Already through to the
last-16 of the Champions League and the quarterfinal of the League Cup,
Mourinho has downplayed his side's chances of winning the quadruple
before it enters the FA Cup in January.
While such an achievement
would be a stupendous achievement, the immediate question of securing
the league title appears slightly more realistic.
A 3-0 victory over
London rival Tottenham was achieved with minimum fuss and the usual
efficiency as Chelsea recovered from the surprise of only managing a
goalless draw at Sunderland last weekend.
"We played against a very good team and they showed that during some periods in the game," Mourinho told the BBC.
"They started better
than us and should have scored before us, but after our first goal our
team became more stable and confident and we controlled the game.
"I'm really happy with the points, performance and spirit of the players. It's too heavy a result, though, for Tottenham."
There is nothing more
appetizing to a Chelsea team than the visit of Tottenham -- a team which
folds as soon as someone inside Stamford Bridge as much as sneezes.
Tottenham's last win at
Chelsea was back in 1990 and in the previous 57 meetings between the two
sides, Spurs had managed just five victories.
So even when the
visiting side made a strong start to the contest and Harry Kane hit the
crossbar, there were few imagining anything other than a Chelsea
victory.
They were to be proved
correct of course. Eden Hazard and Didier Drogba both scored both the
interval before Loic Remy added a third to seal the points.
Spurs will not be the
last team to be given a beating by Chelsea this season, this was the
11th time Mourinho's side have tasted success in 14 league games.
City slickers
Chelsea's main challenge
looks set to come from Manchester City which breezed to victory at
Sunderland, a place where it has struggled in the past.
City remained in touch at the top after coming from behind to win at Sunderland with Aguero playing a starring role yet again.
The Argentine striker
scored twice with Steven Jovetic and Paolo Zabaleta also on target after
Sunderland had taken a surprise lead.
Aguero, who has now scored 66 Premier League goals in 101 appearances, has managed 14 so far this season.
Elsewhere, Arsenal grabbed a dramatic late winner to see off Southampton 1-0.
Alexis Sanchez netted in the 89th minute to fire Arsenal to within two points of the Champions League places.
"It was a difficult game
against a good side but we deserved to win, it was a victory of
patience and intelligence and we kept our structure well," Arsene
Wenger, the Arsenal manager, told the BBC.
"We were jaded
physically but Alexis Sanchez can dig deep and has such desire and a
will to win, he still finds that resource to get you something special."
In the night's other game, Everton was held to a 1-1 draw by Hull City.
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