CRYSTAL Palace manager Tony Pulis believes Jose Mourinho can still bring the Premier League crown back to Stamford Bridge.

Mourinho returned to the west London club this summer for a second spell in charge having quit the role in 2007 boasting a proud record of two championship successes.

Many predicted pre-season he would complete a hat-trick of Premier League titles in his first season back at the Bridge, but they take on Pulis’ Crystal Palace this weekend five points behind Arsenal and having conceded three goals in each of their last two top flight games.

And despite playing catch-up with the Gunners, the Eagles boss is confident Mourinho’s Chelsea remain firmly on course to bag the trophy come May.

Pulis said: “I think they’ve got a great chance, I think that it is so wide open this year.

“There’s a lot more teams involved in it.

“I know they’ve lost more games than what they have before but it is a strange season.

“Sometimes when it is like that people can come from behind and win championships and it wouldn’t surprise me if they do that.

“They’ve certainly got the basis of a very, very good squad.

“Whether he adds one or two in the window or wants to, obviously that’s down to him.

“In my opinion I don’t think Chelsea have done too bad and I would expect them to be a lot stronger in the second half of the season.”

Palace head into the London derby in top form having won their last two games against West Ham and Cardiff to give themselves a realistic chance of top flight survival.

Pulis is the first to accept his side will be outsiders at the weekend but wants his squad to thrive at Stamford Bridge with the pressure firmly off for one day.

The Selhurst supremo explained: “On any given day if Chelsea play to their maximum - and if both Manchester clubs and Liverpool do - they’re just, without being disrespectful, a little bit ahead of us.

“It is always difficult going away and playing against the top sides in this league and you need everything to go in your favour to get a result, and that’s no criticism of the group of clubs who are below that.

“But that’s what you need - you need them to be off form, you need to be right on top of it and you need some breaks as well.

“We’ve got 10 points from the last five games, we’ve had a real, real good run, the confidence is high and they’re enjoying their football at the moment.

“It’s about going there and enjoying it more than anything without trepidation, just get out there and do your best.”

“We know there is a massive gulf between what Chelsea have got to what this club has got.”

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