Roman’s army looks fit to win the big one

The old Chelsea curse was of having a team heavy with non-English players who simply could not adjust to the pace, and physical nature, of English football. Or focus on Blackburn away in the Premiership three days before playing Lazio in the Champions League. This time it’s different.

Yes, there’s a strong foreign contingent. Yes, they are stars who’ve won it all. But the way they ran on Sunday, the drive and commitment to the Chelsea cause was admirable. This is a team playing for each other and for their club, not a collection of stars playing for themselves.

They have a mean defence, which has conceded the fewest goals in the Premiership — and none in the last six matches. They have a dazzling array of creative talent in midfield and, collectively, perhaps the best strike force in Europe. And in Claudio Ranieri, someone who apparently knows how to marshall all of that.

Best of all, though, they have Roman Abramovich’s millions. The team that won on Sunday cost $150 million to assemble (though four out of five in the splendid defence played last season); money can’t buy you trophies but can give you the momentum to do so — ask Real Madrid. Significantly, for the first time, Chelsea, and not Manchester United, have the strongest squad in the Premiership — the bench strength alone was Duff, Desailly and Hasselbaink, three players Ferguson would love to have.

Which bring us to Manchester United’s problems, and they have plenty. First, as shown up yesterday, they lack match-winning creative talent. Not once in the game did they look like creating a goal, and Chelsea weren’t about to gift them any. The absence of Beckham was felt, the crosses were poor, the dead-balls unproductive. Ronaldo, Darren Fletcher and David Bellion are future prospects but United can’t wait that long.

Equally important, they need, desperately, a partner for van Nistelrooy, who yesterday was left to win balls and then try and score too. He’s plainly lacking the edge of last season, because the burden is too heavy. Forlan isn’t a proven, consistent goalscorer who can take the load off the Dutchman.

But United, for all their frailties cruelly exposed at Stamford Bridge, have one advantage: the experience of lasting out a campaign, of grappling at the death, of losing battles but winning wars. Above all, they have the experience of last season to draw on; but Ferguson knows that even an extraordinary display of sheer willpower won’t be good enough this time.

That leaves Arsenal, who are playing the same magical brand of football they played last season. Henry, clearly the best footballer in the Premiership — he could, rightfully, win FIFA’s World Player of the Year award later this month — is two or three men in one, and often requires three men to guard him. Pires is bewitching, too, and even old man Bergkamp showed his skills against Fulham.

But they’ve been there, done that without winning the title. The trick, as United have perfected, is to spread the magic out over the season; Arsenal famously couldn’t do that last year. Their biggest current handicap is the lack of quality bench strength and there has to be a question mark over their stamina when the cup ties kick in early next year.

There are still 24 Premiership games to play. On current form it looks like a Chelsea-Arsenal-Man United finish; but something suggests United will pull it off again. The next clues will come when the transfer window opens in January. It doesn’t get closer than this.