It's all over. The dust has settled and it's time to congratulate the boys from Stamford Bridge.

The title race may have been up in the air going into the final match of the season, but Chelsea's emphatic 8-0 victory over Wigan Athletic was a truly fitting way to seal the deal.

I'm no huge fan of the team from London, but you have to give credit where it is due. And, while this wasn't one of those comprehensive, runaway league triumphs, the crown has ultimately ended up where it deserved to be.

On balance, I think Chelsea were probably the best team in England over the course of the season. They had their wobbles and some pretty poor moments. But they overcame them and bounced back in a way that only the best teams can.

The fact that they also handed out a number of good thrashings was also testament to their desire to win matches comprehensively. And that is something I like to see from potential champions. I get massively irritated by teams that race into a 3-0 lead and then take their foot off the pedal.

By the time you read this there is every chance Carlo Ancelotti's team will have added an FA Cup to their league title. I can't see Portsmouth pulling off a surprise at Wembley - their players were probably just glad to have made it that far while still getting paid.

With or without a triumph yesterday, it's still been a pretty good return on investment for Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich. But we all know the Russian's real goal is not domestic - it's the Champions League trophy he really wants to show off at the next meeting of the billionaires club.

I have to be honest: when Ancelotti arrived in England promising to focus on European glory, I expected him to do just that at the expense of the league and the other domestic trophies.

But the Italian is going about it in another, considerably more admirable manner. He is trying to breed a culture of success; to make winning a habit.

By definition, that should make it easier for the club to take the next, long-awaited step to success on the continent. Which they have every chance of doing next season.

Now, however, Ancelotti is insisting he wants to make Chelsea the dominant force at home as well as overseas. But if he thinks he will have it easy defending the title next season, he needs to think again.

Because I fully expect the other contenders to be back with a vengeance.

Manchester United will be stung by their failure this year. Badly stung. And I expect them to come out fighting in August. Nothing winds up Sir Alex Ferguson quite as much as being pipped at the post. Well, apart from referees, of course. And Rafa Benitez.

There is nothing more dangerous than a wounded United. And I can only imagine how wounded they must be feeling right now.

Over at the Emirates Stadium, Arsene Wenger knows it is time to stand and deliver. The club, its owners, the fans and even the players will simply not tolerate another season of despair.

For a change, I expect him to make a few proper signings this summer for what could be his final crack at getting his hands on some more silverware for the club he loves. If that doesn't happen, then either he will walk away or the unthinkable will happen and he will be shown the door.

Then you have Liverpool, another club and manager that face a make-or-break season. More than any other top side they simply cannot afford another season like the one they just endured, emotionally or financially.

This was supposed to be the season when Liverpool came good. But they very spectacularly didn't, failing to even live up to Benitez's ridiculous mid-season promise of a fourth-place finish.

The Spaniard has been lucky so far, because the way the club has been run has given him a host of ready-made excuses to explain the team's abject form.

But those excuses only have a limited lifespan and their use-by date is now up. There were hints the natives were getting restless this season, and there is every chance that could develop into a full-scale riot if things don't pick up next time round.

And that just covers the challenge Chelsea will be under from the usual suspects. There are also other teams that need - and deserve - to be taken into consideration.

Manchester City will be itching to live up their reputation as the richest club in the world, after what has been, by their new standards, a bitterly disappointing season.

Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa are also gathering some sort of momentum as they battle it out to make a permanent move to the top table.

Added to those teams, my surprise package for next season, although it is still too early to make any confident predictions, is Birmingham City. They had a decent return to the top flight without really spending any money. Now, thanks to their new owners, they will probably be splashing the cash as they look not just to consolidate their position in the top flight, but start working their way up it.

So, to summarise, Chelsea did well this year. They were worthy champions and progress under Ancelotti is there for all to see.

But despite the Italian's assurances that he wants to use this as a base to push on towards dominance, I think the reality is they will have to fight all the way just to retain their title next year.

It looks like we are going to have some fascinating football coming up. Just a pity we've got to wait three months for it.

Unlikely heroes

It seems almost impossible, but Blackpool are now just 90 minutes away from a place in the Premier League.

The seaside club, run on a shoestring budget and with an incomplete stadium, beat Nottingham Forest in the Championship play-off semi-final and will now take on Cardiff City at Wembley next weekend.

If Blackpool manage to win what has become known as the richest football match in the world, due to the financial rewards on offer for promoted teams, it will mean their first appearance in the top flight for nearly 40 years.

It will also mean one of the most outspoken, verbal and genuinely funny managers around finally gets to strut his stuff on the big stage.

Ian Holloway has always been known for his witty quotes and quick comebacks. Now could be his time to show there is some serious managerial talent lurking behind the talk.

But more importantly, if Blackpool do reach the big time it will mean something even more significant - it will show small clubs that working your way up to the Promised Land of top flight football is not impossible.

We had a glimpse of that sort of fairytale last season with Burnley. But Blackpool's rise will be even more unexpected and dramatic considering their size and resources.

The gap between rich and poor is continuing to widen and, as it turns into a yawning gulf, many ordinary football fans have become alienated.

But if Holloway manages to take an unfashionable team to the top on the sort of budget that most Premiership teams spend on tattoos, it will prove miracles can still happen in football.

Nothing against Cardiff, of course, but I can't even begin to deny I will cheering on Blackpool next weekend.

Football needs some new unlikely heroes.

sportscolumnist@timesofmalta.com