Mourinho basks in Chelsea's title triumph

"Next season, we can race," vowed José Mourinho last February, the Chelsea FC manager passing on the message with an impish wink that his side would be ready to compete for Premier League glory this term – a prediction the Blues fulfilled with a 1-0 win against Crystal Palace FC on Sunday.

Despite declaring himself 'the Happy One' when he returned to Stamford Bridge in June 2013, Mourinho is never truly content without titles, and there were plenty of smiles as Chelsea sewed up their fifth crown with three games to spare.

"When you go back to where you had success before, you risk a bit of your prestige and your history," he explained, having conquered the Premier League twice during his first stint from 2004 to 2007. "I risked it but I can say we won again."

"Everything football demands from a team, we have had. We had fantastic attacking football, fantastic domination, high percentages of ball possession, low percentages when we let the opposition have the ball strategically and times when we have defended amazingly well. We did everything the team needs to do. That's why we're champions."

José Mourinho looks on during Sunday's win©AFP/Getty Images

Mourinho's side also lifted the League Cup trophy on 1 March, their success this season largely due to shrewd summer transfer activity. Unsatisfied with his attacking trio of Fernando Torres, Demba Ba and Samuel Eto'o, Mourinho moved all three players on, bringing in Diego Costa, Loïc Rémy and returning legend Didier Drogba.

All three played their part, though it was Costa who allowed Chelsea to set their searing pace, hitting seven goals in his first four games and racking up 19 overall in the league.

The addition of Cesc Fàbregas in midfield was another key moment, the Spanish international performing wonders, especially in the first half of the season, and serving up 17 assists. Eden Hazard has also stepped up to a new level, earning himself the Professional Footballers' Association player of the year prize, while Nemanja Matić provided steel in front of a superb defence marshalled by the evergreen John Terry, and Thibaut Courtois showed why he is one of the most highly rated goalkeepers in world football.

Eden Hazard (left) had a superb season©Getty Images

"We deserve to be champions, and everyone at Chelsea is happy today," added Hazard, who contributed 13 goals and eight assists. "The manager gives me a lot of feelings and I can play my best football on the pitch, which is the most important thing. I know the team need me and a player like me."

The west London club are unlikely to rest on their laurels, however. Their fine domestic form was not replicated on the European stage, and they exited the UEFA Champions League in the last 16, going out at home to ten-man Paris Saint-Germain on away goals.

Having seen Chelsea claim the biggest prize in club football under Roberto Di Matteo in 2011/12, Mourinho will be eager to bolster his own already considerable place in Blues' history by becoming the first manager to win the competition with three clubs.

"We want to go one step forward next year and fight more the Champions League," explained Fàbregas. "We have to push for that and maybe we have to adjust one or two things if we are to achieve that. We have seen that in England we can win everything. In Europe, it changes. But we are not far away."