NOT getting carried away here. Almost a third of the season gone and we're comfortably into the Chapmpions League knockout stages as group winners and we're sitting pretty at the top of the table. And we're still in the League Cup.

 

At this stage, our six point lead only means that we can afford to slip up once,that's all.. While it may be true that Southampton have a difficult run of games ahead of them, we can't rely on anyone else slipping up, or doing the business for us. So as it stand, if we lose twice and Southampton keep on winning, they go top.

 

In third place we have Man CIty, with an eight point gap that gives us a little more breathing space. You only have to look to last season to dismiss any thoughts of complacency. I forget where we were at that stage, but City were well off the pace, having slipped down to eighth place. We're almost through the "dreaded" November, but as far as the league goes, the Christmas and New Year period could be pivotal. Go into the New Year with an even wider gap at the top, and even I may concede that we may just be favourites for the title.

 

A poor run on the other hand, a couple of unforeseen setbacks could paint a very different picture to the current rosy outlook. So all tht can be said about the season so far is... so far so good.

 

From the Star, a brief exposition of just how dominant we've been over the first twelve games of the season (ileague table courtesy of the BBC):

 

The Damning stats to show just how far Chelsea are ahead of Arsenal, Man Utd and Liverpool

 

 

MANCHESTER UNITED'S win over Arsenal last weekend allowed their supporters to peek at the Premier League table from behind their fingers.
    
They then moved into the top four for the first time since early October - but they are still way off the pace.

The gap between United and league leaders Chelsea is now 13 points after 12 games, while the margin between Louis van Gaal's men and bottom side QPR stands at just 11 points.

The table highlights how incredible Chelsea's start to the season has become.

Only three other times in Premier League history - in 1993/94, 2002/03 and 2006/07 - has the top team's lead over fourth place been in double figures after 12 games, although those three times it was just a 10-point advantage.

On those occasions only once - Liverpool in 2002 - were the table-topping side unbeaten.

That side did, memorably, go on to lose 10 times and finish in fifth place, a collapse which is unthinkable for Chelsea.

That is partly due to the depth of their squad, the proven ability of boss Jose Mourinho and a lack of consistency among the chasing pack.

Mainly, it is because of how clearly superior they have been in almost every game thus far, highlighted in their statistical dominance.

They have scored more than any other side, conceded fewer than everyone except Southampton, averaged more points against top-half teams (2.20 points per game) than all bar the Saints (2.25).

They even have the top goal-maker (Cesc Fabregas, 10 assists) and second-top scorer (Diego Costa, 11 goals).

No wonder bookies Paddy Power have already paid out on them winning the title.

 

 

Edited November 27, 201411 yr by Lofty.

I really don't want to get carried away here either but we look so strong right now. We look good in possession. We look good in defense. We have flair and we have the players to keep and hold possession if we want. We can counter attack if we need to. We are really just a fun team to watch too.

For the first time in a while I think that even if we defend badly we can still outscore a team, also we now have that creative touch to unlock a deep defence. I think the title is ours but things will be very difficult during the christmas period.

Jonathan Wilson of The Guardian seems quite excited by our chances too:

 

 

Chelsea out to rewrite the record books in pursuit of Premier League title

 

Such has been the start made by José Mourinho’s side they could even rack up 101 points this season

 

Already this season feels as though it is less about the pursuit of the title for Chelsea as the pursuit of records. They are six points clear at the top of the Premier League having dropped four points from 12 games and, with all due respect to Southampton, they are eight points clear of their nearest realistic title rivals. Even more worryingly for the pack, they have already played away at Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool and Everton. There may be 26 hurdles still between them and the finish line but the sense is that the most testing ones have been cleared.

 

An unbeaten season – which would be just the third in English league history – is certainly possible, although there is always an element of luck in such things, in avoiding those games that happen to all sides, however good, when they pepper the opposition goal, fail to score, and concede on the counterattack.

 

But so too are numerical records. Chelsea hold the record for most points gained in a top-flight season: 95 in 2004-05. Project the 32 points they have won in 12 games over the course of 38 games and you get 101. That, obviously, would be an astonishing total but a record is a definite possibility.

 

Then there is the matter of the margin of victory. The record stands at 18, when Manchester United won the league with 91 points in 1999-2000 and Arsenal came second with 73. The extraordinary thing about that season is that after 12 games United were only fourth in the table, with 24 points – that is, eight fewer than Chelsea have now. Leeds, who finished 22 points adrift, were top with 26, Arsenal a point behind and Sunderland, playing the Southampton role, ahead of United on goal difference. United went on to win 21 of their final 26 games of the season.

 

Even in 2004-05, Chelsea did not start as well as this. Then, after 12 games they had 29 points and were two points clear of Arsenal and six clear of Everton in third. That hints at the other feature of this season: it is not just that Chelsea are good, it is that all their rivals are in some degree of transition. Manchester United moved fourth with Saturday’s victory at Arsenal but their tally of 19 points is lower than any other team in fourth place after 12 games since the switch to three points for a win in 1981.

 

This is a season not just of one team of brilliant remorselessness but of a pretty weak second rank. City or United may click into some kind of form at some point but that gap is looking insurmountable. The only side to have taken more points from their first 12 games are Manchester City in 2011-12, who were on 34 points after 12 matches, five clear of United.

 

The last time any side had a lead of this magnitude after 12 games was 2005-06, when Chelsea were six clear of Wigan Athletic and 10 clear of Manchester United (both of whom had played a game fewer). Before that, you have to go back to 1993-94 when United led Norwich and Arsenal by nine points.

 

Teams simply do not throw away leads like this, and particularly not teams like Chelsea. With José Mourinho, you sense he can pretty much keep a clean sheet whenever he likes. The defence has been a minor issue this season – just four clean sheets in 12 games, as opposed to 18 in 38 last season, although it is worth pointing out that 14 of those came in the final 22 games of the season, after Mourinho lost his temper following the Capital One Cup defeat to Sunderland and vowed to go back to basics.

 

Even if Diego Costa’s goals dry up (and he is in remarkable form at the moment, scoring 11 from just 31 shots, as against a league average of 9.55 shots per goal); even if teams work out how to shut down Cesc Fàbregas, as United’s deployment of Marouane Fellaini did at Old Trafford, there are enough other options to bring them goals. Oscar, Eden Hazard, Willian and André Schürrle can provide a spark if required. This is also a noticeably big team: John Terry, Gary Cahill, Nemanja Matic, Branislav Ivanovic and Costa offer a threat in the air; a fifth of Chelsea’s 30 league goals this season have come from set plays.

 

The only aspect that can keep Chelsea from breaking records is a good run in the Champions League. If the lead is eight points or more come March, who could blame Mourinho if he began resting players in the Premier League to keep them fresh for Europe? Since joining Porto, Mourinho has won the league in his second season at every club he has been at. It looks like he is going to do it again, and perhaps in doing so break one of his own records.

Why are we making threads like these every now and then about our incredible run thus far? I mean seriously to jinx ourselves?

 

Just keep it simple as it is. We have won nothing yet, absolutely nothing.

Edited November 27, 201411 yr by CFCBlue12

Why are we making threads like these every now and then about our incredible run thus far? I mean seriously to jinx ourselves?

No offense to the poster but seriously.

 

Just keep it simple as it is.

I think you're missing the point here. Massively.

So far so good, not getting carried away, take nothing for granted, there's a long way to go and a lot more work to be done, we haven't won anything yet.

 

That's what I'm saying, the exact opposite of this "we've already won the title" bollocks. You could even call it an anti-jinx.

Don't even want to think of an unbeaten season until 25+ games.

I think you're missing the point here. Massively.

So far so good, not getting carried away, take nothing for granted, there's a long way to go and a lot more work to be done, we haven't won anything yet.

 

That's what I'm saying, the exact opposite of this "we've already won the title" bollocks. You could even call it an anti-jinx.

Nah, I know that, but the thing is I'm against such threads. We all know that we are playing good etc.etc.

No offense though just my opinion.

Edited November 27, 201411 yr by CFCBlue12

If we cant revel in our good form then the forum would only ever carry a negative, pessimistic tone.

This isn't a chest thumping"we're gonna win the league" thread, it's about pointing out that in amongst our good form the history books and statistics point to good omens for the season ahead and it is a point worth debating and can be done so without necessarily being arrogant.

Playing well should definitely be celebrated by the fans and not always greeted with caution.

Now watch us lose to Sunderland. Just kidding. 

 

Hopefully, we can maintain our good form and stay injury-free. 

If we cant revel in our good form then the forum would only ever carry a negative, pessimistic tone.

This isn't a chest thumping"we're gonna win the league" thread, it's about pointing out that in amongst our good form the history books and statistics point to good omens for the season ahead and it is a point worth debating and can be done so without necessarily being arrogant.

Playing well should definitely be celebrated by the fans and not always greeted with caution.

 I think it should be a chest thumping thread. we are going to win the the league, i'm not worried to much yet about being unbeaten all season, last year i was pessimistic, this year i'm not, the final pieces of the jigsaw have been added and i just haven't seen anyone as good as us this year, i'm not sorry to say. Everyone has had their opportunities to buy players and strengthen but missed them, i think we will win the league buy a record margin. and by the time january comes, the transfer window will be a moot point. There is no way jose?  will let this lead slip. 

Now watch us lose to Sunderland. Just kidding.

Hopefully, we can maintain our good form and stay injury-free.

Don't even joke like that!

 I think it should be a chest thumping thread. we are going to win the the league, i'm not worried to much yet about being unbeaten all season, last year i was pessimistic, this year i'm not, the final pieces of the jigsaw have been added and i just haven't seen anyone as good as us this year, i'm not sorry to say. Everyone has had their opportunities to buy players and strengthen but missed them, i think we will win the league buy a record margin. and by the time january comes, the transfer window will be a moot point. There is no way jose?  will let this lead slip. 

Right then. If we DO happen to screw things up, we'll know who to blame, won't we... and where to go!

 

We are a pleasure to watch and that is good enough for me.

Right then. If we DO happen to screw things up, we'll know who to blame, won't we... and where to go!

 

Don't book any train tickets!

Also, not to get carried away or jinx anything, but has anyone else found it amusing how, in reaction to City beating Bayern, a lot of people have been saying that City will now close the gap?

 

I mean, there's no link whatsoever between City beating Bayern and us dropping 8+ points.

 

Of course, the win over Bayern might give them the confidence to go on a good run, but if we keep winning our games, there's not much they can do? It isn't in their hands...

That's because they love all things, other than chelsea.

Let's just enjoy the way we're playing, but take it for what is...a superb start....that's it

I'm absolutely loving how things are at the moment: we're playing great football, consistently winning and yes we should naturally take a lot of pride in that. If things carry on as they are then we have a fantastic chance of winning the league. But I'm getting sick of the sensationalist articles constantly being written in the media, proclaiming us as Champions already and speculating as to how many points we're supposedly guaranteed to get. There are 26 matches left to play in the league, any number of things could happen in that time. We've not won anything at all yet and it would be nice if the media could remember that.

 

City will come on strong as they normally do, we may pick up injuries, lose a few games that we shouldn't and suffer from a fixture pileup; the one thing that is guaranteed is that the league will not be plain sailing, although yes of course we look like very strong favourites at the moment.

Let's just enjoy the way we're playing, but take it for what is...a superb start....that's it

 

Bang on.

The only thing that can prevent us winning the title is Fabregas picking up a serious injury, even then provided we've got a big enough lead I think we can hold on.

 

The thing that surprised me most about this topic was seeing that Newcastle are in 5th, blimey I could swear they were in the relegation zone a few weeks ago.

I'm absolutely loving how things are at the moment: we're playing great football, consistently winning and yes we should naturally take a lot of pride in that. If things carry on as they are then we have a fantastic chance of winning the league. But I'm getting sick of the sensationalist articles constantly being written in the media, proclaiming us as Champions already and speculating as to how many points we're supposedly guaranteed to get. There are 26 matches left to play in the league, any number of things could happen in that time. We've not won anything at all yet and it would be nice if the media could remember that.

 

City will come on strong as they normally do, we may pick up injuries, lose a few games that we shouldn't and suffer from a fixture pileup; the one thing that is guaranteed is that the league will not be plain sailing, although yes of course we look like very strong favourites at the moment.

You just know the media, who started the whole unbeaten drivel in the first place, not us, after just six games, are waiting to declare 'they're no invincibles', 'not as good as the arse' blah blah blah, the moment we lose

The only thing that can prevent us winning the title is Fabregas picking up a serious injury, even then provided we've got a big enough lead I think we can hold on.

 

The thing that surprised me most about this topic was seeing that Newcastle are in 5th, blimey I could swear they were in the relegation zone a few weeks ago.

Newcastle have done something even we haven't which is win five straight league games...and with so many teams being inconsistent, they have been able to catch up quick...thing is you can see them also going five without a win...hopefully one of those will be against us

The only thing that can prevent us winning the title is Fabregas picking up a serious injury, even then provided we've got a big enough lead I think we can hold on.

The thing that surprised me most about this topic was seeing that Newcastle are in 5th, blimey I could swear they were in the relegation zone a few weeks ago.

PARDEW OUT!

Newcastle have done something even we haven't which is win five straight league games...and with so many teams being inconsistent, they have been able to catch up quick...thing is you can see them also going five without a win...hopefully one of those will be against us

To be fair, they beat a bunch of mid to relegation zone teams. In our first 12 we faced 5 teams in the current top 10.

They faced 1 in the top 10, Spurs.

Good work by them though.

Just goes to show, Ashley could easily have fired Pardew a few weeks ago when they were sitting at the foot of the table and who knows what would have happened next. Too often managers are discarded soon as a slump sets in as if its irreparable.

Newcastle have done something even we haven't which is win five straight league games...and with so many teams being inconsistent, they have been able to catch up quick...thing is you can see them also going five without a win...hopefully one of those will be against us

 

Exactly. They are fomenting a very particular agenda at the moment in order to then hammer us if/when we do lose.