Former Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri has stoked the flames ahead of this weekend's Premiership clash with Arsenal by backing the Blues to pull off a stunning double.
Ranieri, who led the London club to the Premier League runner's-up spot last year and a semi-final place in the Champions League, believes they can go further this time around and claim English and European crowns.
The Italian, now in charge of reigning Spanish champions Valencia, said the combination of their European successes last season - including a 2-1 win at Highbury to oust the Gunners - and new boss Jose Mourinho's achievement in winning the Champions League with Porto can lead them to great glory.
"It's possible for them to win the Champions League and the Premiership, why not?
"Chelsea must be one of the favourites for the Champions League because Mourinho has won it before and my players had a good experience last year," Ranieri said.
"I believe they will win the Premiership this season. I've never gambled in my life but if you told me to go to the bookmakers I'd gamble on Chelsea.
Chelsea are five points clear at the Premiership summit and finished top of their Champions League group, and Ranieri believes Arsenal's time at the top of English football is over.
"When they [Arsenal] beat us in the league I told Roman Abramovich that the moment would come and eventually I was right."
"I think football is cyclical. There was the Manchester United cycle, the Arsenal cycle and the Chelsea cycle is coming."
