Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho believes that it is harder to win the Premier League title now than it was in his first spell at the Blues.
Mourinho won the title twice in his first two seasons at Stamford Bridge before finishing second to Manchester United prior to his exit in his first stint at the club.
However, the Portuguese feels that with the rise of Manchester City and Liverpool's resurgence this year, winning the Premier League has become more difficult.
He told reporters: "Before it was just Chelsea, United and Arsenal, a three-team title race which became a two-team race. Everything was known from the first moment. All the big teams would finish in the top four.
"Now it's a real problem with City becoming an economic force and Liverpool coming up. It's much harder. It has changed."
Chelsea can finish second this season if Liverpool lose to Newcastle United later today and they beat Cardiff City.
Simon Sinclair
