Under the guidance of Jose Mourinho, Chelsea are looking like the best team in the Premier League again. Whether or not they really are remains up for debate, but they do look like the real deal under Mourinho this year. Last year Chelsea finished a distant third from the Manchester clubs, but Mourinho has changed the system, and they might win the Premier League by a distance as a result.

Here are four reasons why Chelsea will be Premier League title contenders this season:

1. Pragmatism.

Jose Mourinho came out recently and said “if you play like Barcelona when you do not have the players, you are stupid.” Apparently he has convinced Roman Abramovich of this, because Chelsea have gone from playing fancy football to playing efficient and smart football. Chelsea set up in a 4-2-3-1 system similar to last year, however there is much more structure this year. The wide players have more defensive responsibilities, the center backs are defending deeper as well. Chelsea stay compact at the back, with the two central defenders usually dropping deep in order to defend with the ball in front of them. This is done to play to their strengths, as players like John Terry and Gary Cahill usually only concede goals when they get beaten with pace.

The two holding midfielders are told to cover the midfield area well, and even the number 10 has to come back and defend. Furthermore the full backs defend much deeper and Branislav Ivanovic is only given license to go forward during certain periods of the game. Defensively Chelsea are really hard to break down, but they have also developed on the other end.

2. Goalscoring Improvements.

Chelsea have completely upped their game on the offensive end. This is a team that went from being too narrow, and playing short passes, to being direct and lethal. Seeing Chelsea on the counter attack is really entertaining now, as they just break so quickly with pace on the wings or centrally through the likes of Ramires. When Chelsea attack, they directly look to supply the ball on the flanks and set up a bank of four across the midfield, with players joining to support the attack.

3. Build-Up Play.

Another Mourinho tactic is the build-up play. Last season Chelsea would make non threatening runs and play the ball around their opponents. This season everyone knows what they need to do and where they need to go. The striker is running directly at players through the middle or on the flanks. The wide players are being told to also run directly at players and attack the bylines. Jose Mourinho demands a lot from his players and this is illustrated the most with Juan Mata. Since Mourinho views Oscar as the number 10, the likes of Juan Mata have had to up their physical fitness in order to keep up with the demands of Mourinho. Nonetheless Mourinho’s demand seem to be working because Chelsea are just five points off first place in the Premier League, and Mourinho will be hoping to capitalize on Arsenal’s tough visit to Manchester City this weekend by securing all three points against Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge.

4. Strength In Depth.

Lastly, the strength in depth at Chelsea is incredible. Chelsea have an average age in their squad of 28, but when you look at the bigger picture they have loads of young talent. Eden Hazard, Andre Schurrle, Oscar and more vital players are all under the age of 23. They have two players for every position, and they all can make a lot of first teams in the Barclays Premier League. When you can afford to drop a player like Juan Mata that really says it all. The Chelsea bench on average is worth £120 million, and it shows.

In summary, Chelsea are a team quickly improving both individually and collectively. The team has a core of young hungry players, and veterans to help steady the ship. Jose Mourinho is quickly turning this Chelsea team into one of the top in Europe, and it is going to be a pleasure to watch them.

Editor’s note: For the latest Blues news, analysis and opinion, visit the Chelsea team page.

Chelsea’s attacking midfielder Eden Hazard is the player to watch this season. The magical Belgian burst onto the scene last year with Chelsea starting like a house on fire. His form dipped slightly midway through the year, but Hazard picked right back up and started to dazzle again.

This campaign, Hazard means business and had a pre-season that opened many people’s eyes. The midfielder is going into the next season as Jose Mourinho’s new project with the manager even stating:

“He is a top talent, but I want him to not just be a top talent but a top player.”

So far, Hazard is already showing all his qualities that could propel him to be the Premier League’s player of the season.

Firstly, Hazard possesses many top qualities, the first two which are vital for any top player — pace and dribbling. Hazard has got bags of pace, as he glides through opposing defenders with ease. However he is not just another Theo Walcott. He actually uses his trickery to aid his attempts at getting past defenders. The most important aspect of Hazard’s running game is his ability to switch gears quickly. Hazard usually attracts the defender while going at half speed and then quickly shifts into another gear allowing him to escape from any defender. This makes Hazard basically unplayable at times, as defenders simply cannot keep up with him. And did I mention his dribbling? Just have a look at Hazard turn West Ham team in and out.

Secondly, Hazard possesses great vision, and can actually produce a quality ball in the final third. The criticism of many players who were touted to be great such as Aaron Lennon and Walcott was that that they couldn’t produce a decisive ball in the final third. Hazard does it with ease. Last season, he showed time and time again that he can produce that little bit of magic in the final third and spot a run of his teammates. Examples of this came in big games; like against Tottenham, Villa, and West Ham. The final third is not just about top notch passes, it’s also about scoring. Just when you think

Hazard can’t possibly have anymore attributes to his game you’re wrong. Eden Hazard has got goals in him, and although he only had 13 goals last season, he has come out and said ” I want to be more lethal.” This is depressing news for opposing fans as Hazard has the potential to be a 30 goal a season player. All you have to do is look back to his individual goals against Manchester United and West Ham. When a player can take a dead game and produce a piece of individual brilliance a la Messi, it’s a rare quality that game changers such as Hazard has.

Lastly, the most important factor that makes Hazard a lock to be the player of the season, is the same factor that has made many of the pundits select Chelsea as the favorites for the title: The Mourinho Factor. Jose Mourinho has already stated his intentions with Hazard by placing him in the same group as Messi and Ronaldo.

It’s time for Mourinho to transform Hazard’s game. Hazard is already a much better player than Joe Cole was. He has got more pace, strength and all around quality than Cole ever did. Although Hazard has not got the work rate, this is something Mourinho is already changing. In pre-season, Hazard has been very focused and is tracking back and helping out his left back, which is something he hardly ever did last season. Hazard is also being more decisive with his runs. Instead of playing with the ball, he’s just going past defenders and providing match winning moments. Although it is only early in the season, those are still signs of a player who is looking to move on to the next level. Time will tell but with the season already under away, Hazard is definitely the player to watch.

Juan Mata has started the 2012-2013 campaign like a house on fire, and has clearly risen above his compatriots to be the outstanding player of the year thus far. With 6 goals and 6 assists in the Premier League and 11 goals and 13 assists in all competitions, Juan Mata is quickly becoming a world class player. Now it’s time to ask the question how exactly is he doing this?

Firstly, Juan Mata operates in Chelsea’s 4-2-3-1 formation primarily on the right hand side. Although, as of late, he has been operating in more of a central role. Nevertheless with Chelsea’s creativity in the attacking third, Mata is given the freedom to interchange at anytime, thus allowing him to be the playmaker he is. Case-in-point Mata is seen starting on the right hand side yet, as the game advances you can find him in the number 10 role instead of Oscar, or on the opposite flank switched with Hazard as shown in the picture above. This is very unique in a sense that most players do not understand how to play with other players who move into their position, and are basically positionless as you see them floating all over the attacking third. So the fact that Mata is able to do that successfully is a testament to his teammates quality but most importantly a testament to his own quality. This is because as a player Mata is able to communicate to others that at a certain point in time he is going to be in their primary position, and then the following possession will be in another spot. This may sound easy but it is in fact a pretty hard skill to possess.

Secondly, Juan Mata possess another quality which is helping him to become a world class player. This quality is leadership as Mata is undeniably the leader of that now infamous Chelsea trio of Hazard, Oscar and Mata. This was clear in the Fulham game as the team was dull and had no creativity until he came on in the 60th minute. Although Chelsea did not score, they created many more chances due to Mata’s movement and intricate passing in and around the final third. His leadership also showed the following game away to West Ham as he opened the scoring, and created two early chances. Juan Mata may not be a vocal leader like John Terry, who is probably the best in the business at leading vocally. However Mata is a leader by example as he inspires his teammates to be more creative on all areas of the pitch, and especially in that final third. Furthermore Mata holds within him one more trait that allows him to be more of a complete player thus helping him become a world class player.

Thirdly, Juan Mata is an underrated defender, as he always works hard to track back and shut down opposition space in front of him. As Mata is mostly used on the right flank it is his duty to track back and help the full back cover space defensively. Most tiki-taka style playmakers, with the exception of Iniesta and Xavi, do not do their job defensively, as they are too occupied with attacking. However Mata has taken that next step as a player and has become a manager’s dream player because of his discipline and ability to shut down space in front of him.

In summary Mata’s discipline is another admirable trait which is making his progression into a world class player that much quicker.

In conclusion, Juan Mata is a player nipping the bud of his talents and is soon to be among the elites of the footballing world. With his tactical brilliance, playmaking ability, and underrated leadership, Juan Mata is a player to watch over the next 2 seasons, and Chelsea fans and Premiership fans alike should be very excited.