For the first time this season, Jose Mourinho is now the hunted rather than the hunter.
With Chelsea having a relatively favourable run heading into the final four months of the season and with a narrow lead at the top, the Blues have put themselves in with a great chance of winning the Premier League.
Speaking to us from the Hawthorns before Chelsea's game with West Brom tonight, Daily Mirror Chief Football Writer Martin Lipton believes things are shaping up nicely for the Blues with goals spread around the team to compensate for the lack of a prolific striker.
"The players buy into what they're trying to do now. There's far more cohesion about them. Defensively they are more secure and the counter-attack has been brutally efficient. The second goal on Saturday was eerily reminiscent of Arsenal in their pomp when they had Henry, Pires and Bergkamp. They were never more dangerous than when you had a corner against them with 100 yards of space to break into. Chelsea have become increasingly adept at that and have so much space on the counter. They were outstanding at City last Monday night."
But with Chelsea now the hunted, they could become a bit "twitchy" according to Lipton who also pointed out that the Hawthorns is a thorny place for Chelsea in recent times.
Despite Chelsea's vast spending levels over the past decade and despite being happy to splash the clash at many of the clubs he has been at, Jose Mourinho is making a big deal of Financial Fair Play where Manchester City are concerned.
"Because he thinks it's a weakness. He thinks Pellegrini will respond - which he has - and get him on edge - which it has. It will get the City players upset and angry, which it has. He's pulled it off again because people fall for it. The only way to deal with Mourinho is ignore him, if you're a manager, not play into his hands."
But, despite taking constant jabs at rivals, Mourinho comes across a little less brash and Lipton believes he is "finding himself again" after being "bruised" by the experience at Real Madrid.
And for the first time during the Roman Abramovich era, Lipton is sure that there will be no managerial sacking if Chelsea do not win the league or a trophy.
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