Chelsea
have made the second-worst start to a title defence in Premier League
history.
Jose Mourinho's side suffered a shock home defeat to Crystal Palace on
Saturday – just their second Premier League loss at Stamford Bridge under
the Portuguese manager.
That result leaves Chelsea with only four points from their first four
games, after an opening day draw with Swansea, 3-0 reverse at title rivals
Manchester City and 3-2 win at West Brom.
Only 1994/95 champions Blackburn got off to a worse start after winning the
Premier League, taking just three points from their first four games of the
following campaign.
Chelsea's sluggish start is in stark contrast to their 2005/06 and 2010/11
seasons, where they took maximum points from the opening four matches of
their title defence.
However, Manchester United, who managed just five points from four games in
2007/08 and 2008/09 before bouncing back to retain their crown, have shown
that Chelsea shouldn't be written off just yet…
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