Chelsea won the Premier League three rounds early

A narrow 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace on May 3 was enough to help Jose Mourinho's team become the new kings of the tournament.

Chelsea players rejoice with the early championship. Photo: Reuters

Chelsea needed three points against Palace to be crowned champions and they only needed a 1-0 win, as usual, to do so. Eden Hazard, the tournament's best player, scored the only goal. The Belgian midfielder missed a penalty but headed home the rebound.

Chelsea currently has 83 points, 16 points more than second-placed Man City, a result that is enough to help Mourinho and his team win the championship three rounds early.

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Whether you love or hate Mourinho, there is no denying that he is talented and has achieved many successes. The Portuguese strategist always has championship titles, leading his team to the championship in his second year in charge. Chelsea, in their reunion, is no exception to that tradition. After the League Cup, Mourinho helped Chelsea win the Premier League with a superiority in points compared to their competitors.

Fans can condemn Chelsea's defensive style of play, like Arsenal fans booed "boring Chelsea". Or maybe like manager Manuel Pellegrini called the Stamford Bridge team a "small team" with a defensive mindset. The way Chelsea won the match against Palace on May 3 was not really convincing. In any case, Chelsea and Mourinho are still the ones who have the last laugh. People only remember the champions, no one mentions the losers. Chelsea's statistics on goals scored and conceded are also extremely impressive this season.

Hazard headed the ball in the 44th minute. Photo: GC.

Palace did not come to Stamford Bridge just to witness the coronation of a new champion. Alan Pardew's team played aggressively, ready to compete and create problems for the home team.

Both teams were determined, pushing the tempo high, not boring at all. The result was quite harsh for Palace as they played hard in the first half. Chelsea had good possession but did not have any real dangerous chances. In the middle of that game, Hazard, as usual, became the savior. He played a one-two with Willian and was fouled in the box. The penalty kick was superficial but the best player of the tournament made up for it with a header.

Hazard's penalty caused a lot of controversy. Slow motion replays did not show the visitor colliding with him but the action happened so quickly that it was hard to blame the referees.

Earlier in the 30th minute, Palace players requested a penalty when the ball hit Terry's hand in the penalty area. Puncheon's powerful shot hit the Chelsea captain's outstretched arm. However, referee Friend did not consider it a penalty.

The ball touched Terry's hand in the 30th minute. Photo: Reuters.

In the first half of the second half, Chelsea completely controlled the game but did not want to attack. Mourinho took Cuadrado off and replaced Mikel, showing the Portuguese strategist's caution. The ball was passed back and forth in the middle of the field, causing frustration for Palace players. Coach Pardew then made two changes, helping Palace play better. In the final minutes, both teams created many attacks but no more goals were scored.

Mourinho: 'This is the most important championship'

In his illustrious coaching career, this is Jose Mourinho's eighth national championship after leading teams in Primeira Liga (Porto, Portugal), Premier League (Chelsea, England), Serie A (Inter, Italy) and La Liga (Real Madrid, Spain). As for Chelsea, this is the second time Mourinho has collaborated. This championship is the London team's first crown in the Premier League in the past five years.

Mourinho won his first Premier League title since starting his second term at Chelsea. Photo: Reuters.

"Every title is the result of effort," Mourinho shared. "I cannot put a price on it and say which is more important. But this is the closest title I have had, so it is the most important title. And I certainly want to have more titles."

While many people support the effectiveness of Chelsea's playing style under Mourinho, many others are disappointed. They think that this team plays too boringly, often plays tight defense and waits for the opponent's weakness to score.

"In this country, every team can be a candidate for the championship. This season is even more true than ever. This is not a tournament where one team can dominate everything. However, we have tried our best and got the desired results," Mourinho analyzed.

"We were top of the table from day one, lost just two games all season, were unbeaten at home, had a great away record, conceded the fewest goals and were only one behind the top scorers. I think that's really what this team has done."

According to VnExpress