Before the last strands of blue ticker tape were being swept from the Stamford Bridge pitch on Sunday, Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho would have cast his mind forward to the task of retaining the Premier League title.
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Even the club’s most blinkered critics could not argue that Mourinho’s side were unworthy champions.
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The 1-0 win over Crystal Palace secured Mourinho’s third league title for Chelsea, following the back-to-back triumphs he masterminded during his first spell in charge of the west Londoners when his tactical nous and owner Roman Abramovich’s money proved an irresistible mix.
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In 2004-5, he moulded Chelsea into champions for the first time in half a century and he followed up the following season with another title-winning campaign.
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Manchester United responded to win it for the next three years, but no club has retained it since 2009.
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The reasons are numerous.
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Manchester City’s rise has enriched the mixture at the top, the huge TV incomes distributed throughout the top flight mean all clubs can sign world class talent, while the sheer demands of the English game make a defence a daunting task.
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In the days leading up to Chelsea’s coronation on Sunday, Mourinho claimed any celebrations would be as “quick as a flash” and “five minutes later I move on. I have to think about next season, to prepare.”
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The serial trophy-gatherer continued the theme once the job was done on Sunday, eluding to the fact that next season will be an even bigger challenge for his youthful squad.
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“This group has now started by winning the League Cup and the Premier League but we know it is very difficult and every other team that is a normal candidate will come even stronger,” the Portuguese warned.
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“This is not the best country to be a force to dominate football but obviously we are going to try to be there in the top of the league and try to win again.”
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