Chelsea Are Strong, but Jose Mourinho Should Still Err on the Side of Caution

It's said the league table doesn't tell lies.

Want to know how good a team is? Check out their league position and you'll get the full story.

By that measure, Manchester United, for all their troubles, are still better than Arsenal and Liverpool. Swansea City are the Premier League's fifth best team right now and Chelsea are streets ahead of the chasing pack.

Indeed, the Blues' lead at the top of the table is five points, yet judging by the way they have started the campaign, it should be more.

They've been in inspired form, dropping points only against the reigning champions Manchester City when they drew 1-1 at the Etihad Stadium.

In many ways, Frank Lampard's equaliser that day has done more for the Premier League than it has City, keeping Chelsea within touching distance in the early stages.

If Manuel Pellegrini's side are to defend their title this term, it's Chelsea they're going to have to overcome.

Jose Mourinho agrees.

"I am happy with everything. In this moment our team are able to adapt to everything," he said this week.

"What the game gives us, we can cope with. We are not the kind of team that play only the same way, think the same things. We can play in a different way and adapt to different situations.

"[...] In this moment the team are mature and confident and I'm very happy [...] I think we're in a good moment."

Mourinho was speaking in the week, per Goal.com, after he had watched his side extend their dominance over Arsenal, beating the Gunners 2-0 in a game they always had under control.

It could have been very different, however, when Thibaut Courtois suffered a collision with Alexis Sanchez and was forced off with a head injury midway through the first half.

As Mourinho explained, the only concern was for Courtois' well-being as his replacement was Petr Cech—a goalkeeper of considerable standing and still regarded as one of the world's best after a decade in west London.

Excuse the pun, but Chelsea were in safe hands.

"No-one in the seats [felt] any fear because we know the big guy is there for us too. Petr is so solid, so confident, so under control, so we are fine," Mourinho added.

Restoring their lead back to five points ahead of Manchester City with that Arsenal victory, Chelsea reaffirmed their strength in the league this season.

In the process, Cech's substitute appearance reminded us all of just how strong Mourinho's squad is.

There isn't another that can boast such resources.

Now isn't a time to get over confident, though. Between now and May, anything can happen—loss of form, injuries, transfers, human error. The factors that decide a title are endless and Chelsea will face tougher tests than injuries to goalkeepers in the coming months.

To be fair to Mourinho, he has attempted to play down his team's early dominance.

As recently as the Arsenal game, he was eager to stress that point in the post-match press conference, explaining that after seven games, nothing is won or lost.

That's the line he must keep pushing, if only to prevent complacency within his squad, let alone setting Chelsea up for a fall that will be relished across the football world.

It isn't his job or place to say how strong his team is. Let others concern themselves with that.

The risk is making Chelsea become an even bigger target than they are already are.

Start the campaign like they have and teams react in two ways: They either submit to their fate or come out fighting.

At the risk of repeating the cliched soundbite, this is the Premier League. More often than not, it proves the latter and teams are built up to be knocked down.

Last season, Liverpool were riding the crest of a wave, but at the moment Brendan Rodgers began to publicly acknowledge the title had every opportunity of residing at Anfield, Demba Ba happened.

Steven Gerrard slipped at the vital moment and a significant dent was put in the Reds' challenge, resulting in City's victory parade.

Rodgers had played it right up to that point. The Liverpool boss can hardly be criticised for feeling giddy as the finishing line approached, but it was all a little premature.

Mourinho knows better than that, which is why it was surprising to see him so bullish this week.

Chelsea are threatening to make the title race boring already, but err on the side of caution, Jose.

Now isn't the time to gloat—strength or not.

Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes