You BetStrong trio of Premiership title contenders will be hard to beat

Only a week to go until the kick-off of the English Premier League, which is shaping up as the most intriguing contest in years after managerial changes at all three of the leading title challengers. With the future of so many star players also up in the air - notably Gareth Bale, Luis Suarez and Wayne Rooney - it feels like a new beginning.

Fresh ground will certainly be broken if Manchester United, Manchester City or Chelsea win the title, which the odds suggest is a high probability. If one of them is successful they will become the first club in 30 years to take the title with a manager aged 50 or older at the time of their appointment - and the first since the formation of the Premier League.

Another statistic against David Moyes and Manuel Pellegrini is their lack of league-winning experience anywhere in Europe, but that cannot be levelled against Jose Mourinho, who has won titles in Spain, Italy, Portugal and twice in England during his previous reign as Chelsea boss.

Mourinho starts with a clear edge in that respect and he will be looking to press home that advantage from the start of the season. In his first stint at Chelsea, he surprised even Alex Ferguson with the ferocity of his campaign from beginning to end, which ran counter to the established practice of a steady start followed by a more intensive spring offensive.

In his first season, Chelsea led Arsenal by five points at Christmas and United were another four points behind. The next season, United were second behind Chelsea, but still their deficit was nine points. Then Ferguson adapted to the new reality and made sure United were on their game from the start of the season. That was the only way to re-establish United's dominance and it was a huge compliment to Mourinho that the most successful manager in the history of the English game was forced to change his approach.

Mourinho seems as driven as ever and is the most likely of the new managers to defy the age stats. His Chelsea squad does not seem as strong as his earlier version, with weaknesses in both defence and attack, but he should get more out of them. At the odds Chelsea make most appeal, and even more so if they sign Rooney.