A new computer simulator has reportedly predicted that London club Chelsea will be crowned Premier League champions at the end of the season following Jose Mourinho's return as manager.
According to Metro, the new 'uniquely data-driven' simulation systems of the American company Bloomberg Sports have presented the findings, which have been devised by playing out the coming campaign 10,000 times before averaging the results.
The report further said that the simulator viewed that Chelsea's new arrivals Marco van Ginkel, Andre Schurrle and Mark Schwarzer have boosted the club's strength significantly enough to see them rise above the two Manchester clubs, in contrast to last season's table.
The report also said that the Bloomberg Sports simulation is based on an initial assessment of the relative merits of each club, drawn from past performances and, crucially, the adjusted 'value' of individual players which has seen Chelsea come out as the top flight's top club.
According to the report, the calculations of the simulator also predicted that Tottenham Hotspur, with or without Gareth Bale, would struggle once again to reach the Champions League, with local rivals Arsenal pipping them to fourth place once again.
The simulator also said that Manuel Pellegrini-led Manchester City are predicted to finish as runners-up, just above rivals Manchester United, while the three promoted clubs - Cardiff, Hull and Crystal Palace - are tipped to suffer an instant return to the Championship.