SHOWCASE-Soccer-Transformed Chelsea are ‘seriously’ good, says Bilic

LONDON, March 6 (Reuters) – It was hard to believe watching Chelsea dispose of West Ham United with relative ease in the Premier League on Monday that last season they finished 12 points behind their London rivals.

Ten months later, they are 33 points above the Hammers, 10 points better off than anyone else and, with 11 games to go, have 16 more points than they managed all last season.

Not only that, but unlike two seasons ago when Chelsea rather laboured towards the title under Jose Mourinho having built a lead, they look capable of sprinting to the finish.

“It’s not over because this is the Premier League and it won’t be an easy ride,” West Ham’s Slaven Bilic, one of the few managers to outsmart Antonio Conte this season when the Hammers won a League Cup tie at the London Stadium, told reporters.

“But they aren’t going to lose (it), they are not going to become casual, I’m 100 percent sure about that. They look very, very serious and I can see them staying on top…