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Premier League teams eye beating Chelsea
It's been 597 minutes since Chelsea yielded a Premier League goal — and that was an own-goal in the final game of last season, the Associated Press reported.
As for a goal by the opposition, it's been 713 minutes — the equivalent of eight games — since Manchester United's Ruud van Nistelrooy scored against the Blues. Chelsea, managed by Jose Mourinho, clinched last season's title in April. With six straight victories to open this season — all by shutouts — this league race may be over by winter. The Blues already lead Manchester United by seven points. Arsenal is nine behind, although the Gunners and Red Devils have played one fewer game than Chelsea. Granted, Chelsea is the biggest spending team in world soccer. But it also looks like the strongest and best organized. "They are exceptional," said Charlton manager Alan Curbishley, whose second-place club was beaten 2-0 over the weekend by Chelsea. "They've posed loads of questions for everyone in the Premiership, and it's up to the big teams to respond." Don't count on it. The Blues are the first Premier League team to win their first six games without conceding a goal (they've scored 12). Newcastle won the first six in 1994-95, but gave up seven goals. The Blues are threatening two records they set last year: eight straight wins by shutouts, and 10 straight shutouts. Two of those games were ties. The Blues are unbeaten in 35 league games dating to last season. They can match Arsenal's record of 49 straight in a New Year's Eve game against Birmingham at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea is closing in on Tottenham's topflight record of 11 straight victories at the start of a season, set in 1960-61. Chelsea has accused of playing boring soccer — defense first, attacking play a distant second. "Ask our supporters if we're boring," Chelsea assistant Steve Clarke said. "I know exactly what they'd say." A Daily Mail headline on Monday defended Chelsea's style: "It's soaring, scoring Chelsea — not boring, boring Chelsea." Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has spent about $500 million on players since buying the club two years ago. "It is easy for other clubs to talk about their money," Curbishley said. "The manager has them organized and disciplined. They prepare and they work hard." The Blues seem to have no weakness. In addition to their six straight shutout wins in the Premier League, they beat Anderlecht 1-0 in a Champions League game. Chelsea has two of Europe's best goalkeepers — Petr Cech and Carlo Cudicini — and four world-class defenders in Portugal's Paulo Ferreira and Ricardo Carvalho, England's John Terry and France's William Gallas. The midfield is the most powerful in English soccer — Claude Makelele, Frank Lampard and Michael Essien. Up front, Mourinho can choose from Damien Duff, Hernan Crespo, Arjen Robben, Joe Cole, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Didier Drogba. "I can't say they are better than the Arsenal side that went through the season unbeaten because that team had the ability to destroy teams," Curbishely said. "Chelsea were powerful too (last season) but were also vulnerable. Now they don't have weaknesses."
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