Chelsea Predictions: 5 Reasons Fernando Torres Will Lead EPL in Scoring

It's true. Fernando Torres will lead the English Premier League in scoring.

You can hate on the Spaniard all you want. You can call me a homer. That's all well in good.

The fact of the matter is that Torres has the capability of winning the Golden Boot. I'm simply saying that it will happen. There are dozens of elite strikers in the Premiership, and Torres is one of them.

Unfortunately for him, he hasn't been in form. However, after a promising match against Stoke City (an incredibly tough defensive team), I expect Torres to take off. His goals and finishes will come in bunches, and his total should reach the mid-20s.

I expect that to be plenty for El Nino to lead the league in scoring.

He Is Relentless

You can say what you want about his attitude, but Fernando Torres is relentless.

Last year, everyone focused on his terrible finishing and lack of poise with the ball. However, when you think about it, he kept getting those chances, right?

Torres never backed down. He would continue to make his runs, and he would get the ball in good space. After half a season with Chelsea, I expect him to be a little more comfortable.

His £50 million transfer is a little further in the past. As a result, a little pressure has been lifted. With a little clearer head, Torres will be able to finish all the chances he creates.

Consequently, I think he will score plenty of goals. If he can get as many chances as he did last year and (this time) finish them, his scoring tally will skyrocket.

Andre Villas-Boas' Style

Andre Villas-Boas has brought a free-flowing attack to Stamford Bridge.

Fernando Torres should be excited.

With this free-flowing attack, El Nino will find himself constantly getting the ball in space. With continuous runs, he will be able to get the ball on the move, and he will not have to slow down the game until he is ready.

In addition, he will always have options. Sure, Chelsea's wing players are average, but they, along with the midfielders, will be constantly flooding to support their central striker. Torres will thrive off simple 1-2s with his attacking partners.

Torres couldn't adjust to Chelsea's style last year. It just didn't work well with his talents or his tendencies. Now, however, he has a new style to play with, and he should be very successful, thanks to his new manager.

Intelligent Player

Sometimes, it is easy to forget how intelligent Fernando Torres is on the pitch.

Coming from Spain, he knows exactly what runs to make. Usually, they are simple, short runs that give his teammate a simple pass into space. There, he can gather the ball without having to put a move on a defender right away.

Unfortunately, Torres can be lazy and is frustrated easily. However, with Didier Drogba sitting right behind him, Torres knows he can't get complacent. Andre Villas-Boas will play the squad he thinks will win him matches. If Torres doesn't fit, then he will be out.

The thing is, Torres does fit. He can move without the ball (when he wants to), and he can create dozens of chances in a single half. Sometimes, his finishing can betray him, but he constantly puts himself in a position to finish. And that can't be overlooked.

Torres knows what runs to make and when to make them. With this intelligence, Torres will give himself plenty of opportunities this year. When he makes the most of them, his goal tallies will soar.

Chip on His Shoulder

After all the negativity surrounding Fernando Torres' performance last year, do you think he noticed?

Of course he did.

Regardless of what players say, they listen to the shows, read the blogs and absorb what everyone says about them. When they play poorly, they try to block it out, but it's tough.

People ripped on Torres from Day 1, and he never turned it around. Those who defended him finally turned on him, and on the pitch, he (arguably) hit rock bottom.

This season, he will come back with a vengeance. He wants to prove that last season was a fluke, and that he can still play.

I expect it to happen.

Great players overcome adversity and come back stronger than ever. El Nino was once considered great, and I think he can re-establish himself as an elite striker this year.

The chip on his shoulder will fuel his competitive fire, and he will produce as well as (if not better) than he ever has.

Fantastic Talent

After all his struggles last season, people forget how talented Fernando Torres truly is.

In his first three seasons at Anfield, Torres scored 56 goals in 69 league games. That rate is absurd.

While many people don't believe Torres can return to that form, I think he still has that talent. His skill with ball is above average, but his ability to find the net is as elite as anyone's.

Torres still has all the tools he once had, and he is only 27 years old. The Spaniard is far from being washed up, and I expect this season to mark his return to individual (and team) glory.

Talent doesn't disappear overnight. Torres is not completely beyond his prime. He may never be as electric as he once once, but he can use his experience to give himself chances he never had before. From there, he will be able to score just as many goals.

Talents like Torres don't come around every day. The man can flat-out score. And this season, he will prove that he can still score goals at a world-class rate.