Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas admits the competitiveness of the Premier League has surprised him.

That so many teams are expected to challenge for the title and the top positions is the one surprise Villas-Boas identifies after four years away.

"The main difference from a couple of years ago is that there are much more teams competing for the Premier League title, and more teams are also competing for the Champions League spots," he told chelseafc.com.

"I think money has a part to play, a lot of new players have come across for various teams. Tottenham look different from before, Liverpool the same, Stoke City will be a threat for the European places and Newcastle are back on top form."