'Better now than under Mourinho'

Chelsea are a better team now than when they won consecutive EPL titles under Jose Mourinho. This is according to defender Ricardo Carvalho who was signed by Mourinho in 2004. "In this moment we are an improvement even from that first year here under Mourinho," the Portuguese international told the club's official website. "Of course then we were compact and everyone was fighting, but now I think we have more quality in the squad maybe. Or at least different players, playing in a different system and style," he added. Mourinho guided Chelsea to their first league title in 50 years in 2005 with a side that lost just once in 38 games and conceded only 15 goals. This season under Carlo Ancelotti, the Blues have opened up a five-point lead at the top of the EPL, conceding eight goals in their first 14 games.