Mourinho Predicts that Premier League will be close

It is a very humbling experience to read of Jose Mourinho's assessment of the Premiere League over the weekend. I mean, since he came onto the soccer scene, it is always other people's fault for Mourinho, so when he gives credit to others, we better sit up and listen.

Mourinho has predicted that the Premier League will be closer than ever this season due to the improvements in several clubs, one of which is Aston Villa.

His comments were prompted by a crashing defeat to Villa - a miserable hunting ground for Chelsea as Mourinho has yet to taste victory after three previous draws. Defeat cost Chelsea the chance to regain top spot in the table from Liverpool, who were the last side to defeat the Blues in the league back in January.

Nevertheless, the Special One could be right. Proof of the competitive nature of the league comes from the fact that only Derby are yet to collect a three-point haul this season, while Manchester City are just a point from the summit having lost back-to-back matches.

It may still be early days though and five games do not make a champion. Overall, there is no major chink in Chelsea's armor despite this defeat; they had the majority of possession but were unlucky not to kill off the match. No doubt they will put together another winning streak in no time.

As for Liverpool, they trounced Derby 6-0 but still managed to look uninteresting despite the impressive scoreline. They are now nestled on top of the table with a game in hand to Chelsea and Manchester United. This could be the year for Rafa, for the money he has splurged in the transfer market and the time he been given to challenge for the title, he should give a better account of Liverpool's performance in the league.