Chelsea primed for era of complete control

Chelsea's chief executive Peter Kenyon, seen here in February 2005, insists, "We have got a long-term plan for development on the football side which is where all the investment has gone."

Premiership champions Chelsea, bankrolled by Roman Abramovich's millions and inspired by Jose Mourinho, stand on the verge of dominating English football and there is nothing their rivals can do about it.

The Stamford Bridge side, who clinched their first league crown in 50 years last season, begin the defence of their title in two weeks' time but most observers believe the destiny of the 2005/2006 championship is already a foregone conclusion.

Eternal rivals Arsenal have lost skipper Patrick Vieira to Juventus and have been impotent in the transfer market.

Manchester United have been rocked by the Glazer takeover and Rio Ferdinand's refusal to sign a new deal.

By contrast, all roads this summer have led to west London with 21-million-pounds tempting Manchester City to allow Shaun Wright-Phillips to leave for Chelsea where he still could be joined by Lyon's 30-million-pound rated Michael Essien.

Asier del Horno was an eight-million-pound capture from Athletic Bilbao, Hernan Crespo has rejoined from AC Milan while Andriy Shevchenko has also been linked with a switch to Mourinho's foreign legion.

Chelsea, who have spent 100 million pounds on players since last summer, won the Premiership by 12 points last season and the likes of those recruits can only boost the winning margin by a wider amount this time round.

The club's chief executive Peter Kenyon insists that winning the title has even accelerated the programme towards Premiership domination.

"What has happened by winning is that it has accelerated what we planned to do anyway," Kenyon said.

"We have got a long-term plan for development on the football side which is where all the investment has gone.

"We knew investment would come good because of the quality of people we have got. All that has happened is that we have accelerated the programme.

"One of the most exciting things for me is not just that we have won it, but that we have won it with a squad of players I can see being with us for many years to come."

Across London, there is despondency.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger had been hoping to persuade Sevilla to part with striker Julio Cesar Baptista but the Brazilian opted instead on a 29.7-million-dollar move to Real Madrid.

It was Wenger's second setback of the summer after failing to tempt Wright-Phillips to Highbury.

He has bought in Alexander Hleb for eight million pounds from Stuttgart but Robert Pires is stalling on putting pen to paper on a new deal

England defender Ashley Cole, whose future at Highbury was in doubt after the club took him to a Premier League inquiry for meeting Chelsea over a possible move, has signed a one-year extension to his Arsenal contract.

"We are all determined to regain the Premiership and title and I can't wait for the season to start now," said the 24-year-old.

But the Cole affair has left a bad taste.

He was fined 100,000 pounds by the Premier League after an inquiry heard evidence that he met with Kenyon and Mourinho in January without Arsenal knowing.

United, who had got used to carving up the title with Arsenal before Chelsea's emergence, have spent four million pounds of South Korean star Park Ji-Sung.

Cynics suggest the former PSV Eindhoven man was drafted in as a means to sell more replica shirts in Asia but Park could have a key role in adding much-needed zip to an Old Trafford midfield looking decidedly aged.

United need to act quickly to dispel the uncertainties generated by the controversial takeover of the club by Malcolm Glazer.

The mood has not been helped by fans' anger over Ferdinand's refusal to sign a new deal worth an estimated 120,000 pounds a week while club skipper Roy Keane had a fallout with manager Alex Ferguson on the eve of the team's tour to Asia.

Elsewhere, it looks likely that Merseyside giants Everton and European champions Liverpool will again be left to battle for the fourth Champions League qualifying spot.

Liverpool, having persuaded Steven Gerrard to resist Chelsea's advances, will be confident they can edge their city rivals this time out.

For the rest of the Premiership's 20 teams it will be a battle either to grab the crumbs of making the UEFA Cup or escaping the trapdoor of relegation to The Championship.

Falling from the top flight can cost millions of pounds in lost revenue.

This season's most likely fall-guys seem set to be three from West Brom, who escaped the drop on the last day in May, Wigan, Fulham and West Ham.