Former Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko tips team to recover

Ex-Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko is confident the team will hit back and rediscover their form to challenge on all fronts this season.

Following an indifferent start to the campaign, Jose Mourinho's side appeared to be back on track with comfortable victories over Maccabi Tel Aviv, Arsenal and Walsall.

But a sluggish display in a 2-2 draw at Newcastle at the weekend and a 2-1 Champions League defeat by Porto has drawn criticism of the team again, much of it from Mourinho.

Shevchenko reckons the current Premier League champions are suffering a mere blip, and points to Manchester City as another example of a top team struggling to find consistency in the top flight.

"I'm very surprised of course because after last season at Chelsea," said Shevchenko, who played at Stamford Bridge between 2006 and 2009.

"But we see what can happen in the Premier League. City lost a few games too, and I think Chelsea always have a chance to get back. The team play the last few games very well, and even on Tuesday night, I watched the second half and they had a few chances.

"This is football. One day it can be like this and another day everything changes, but Chelsea is a great team, they have a great manager, great players, I think everything changes."

German Michael Ballack is another former Chelsea star who has been taken aback by the team's inconsistency this season.

"I'm surprised of course, especially with the possibilities they have financial wise, and they spent a lot of money and now they get judged by certain decisions," said Ballack who was at Chelsea between 2006 - 2010.

"Europe and the whole world is looking at what's going on in the Premier League because it's still the most famous league in the world, and if a club's not performing well a decision starts."