Chelsea the ones to beat, says Lampard

FRANK Lampard has warned Chelsea’s championship rivals to forget any idea the history-chasers are about to step off the gas.

Jose Mourinho’s men begin the campaign as overwhelming favourites to retain their Premiership crown and become only the fifth side in history to record a hat-trick of titles.

In an effort to find a bit of encouragement for their own challenge, some rival bosses, notably Alex Ferguson, have suggested the Blues could get distracted by their desire to conquer Europe and the arrivals of Michael Ballack and Andriy Shevchenko represent a switch in emphasis away from the home front.