League leaders Chelsea have opened up a 6-point gap with second-placed Liverpool, and with them leading the pack at Christmas, Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho believes that the London clubs are clear favourites to win the English Premier League this season.
The Blues have so far taken 43 points in 17 games and are 13 points clear of Manchester United in the League.
The Portuguese manager has clearly given up on the title race admitting that it will be hard for his team to cover the gap between them and the Blues: "You have to be honest and say that is very difficult," said Mourinho about their title ambitions.
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Chelsea defend a lot and defend well, says Mourinho
Mourinho believes that it will be difficult for any team in the league to break Conte’s defensive approach and that their ability to keep clean sheets only means that they are unlikely to drop points anytime soon.
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“It's not just the difference in points; it's also the Chelsea philosophy of playing. They score one goal, and they win. They defend a lot. They defend well. They are winning and, in the last 20 minutes, they bring defenders in.
"They don't care what people say, what people think. They just want to win. And, because of that, I don't see them losing many points."
2017 will be better: Mourinho
Even Mourinho's side have bounced back from a string of bad performances, to win their last three games in the league. With their last defeat coming at the hands of Chelsea who won the game 4-0 at the Bridge in October. Given their impressive performances in the recent games, Mourinho is confident that the fans will have a lot to look forward to in 2017 and that their relationship with the team and the fans are getting better by the day.
"2017 will be better than 2016. I think we are really together. There is a sense of unity between us and the fans. I'm loving a lot that feeling," added Mourinho.
The Red Devils still have a chance of winning a trophy this season as they are still alive in the FA Cup, EFL Cup and Europa League.
Resurgent Blues
The Blues remain victorious in their last 11 Premier League games and have kept nine clean sheets since their last defeat which came at the hands of Arsenal at the Emirates.
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Chelsea did not really have a dream start to their Premier League campaign with defeats at the hands of Liverpool and Arsenal, but a change in formation by Antonio Conte had a major impact on the Blues.
The switch to the 3-4-3 system has made Chelsea look a much more balanced side both in attack and defence which propelled them to the top of the league table.
