Jose Mourinho believes his unbeaten Chelsea side would be champions elect in any division other than the Premier League after their scintillating start to the season.
The Chelsea coach said his side lacked "balls" in last season's defeat at Selhurst Park, which led to him conceding the title, but on their return to the ground the Blues recorded their seventh win from eight league matches this term with goals from Oscar and Cesc Fabregas securing a 2-1 victory.
"To win the title -- long way to go,'' Mourinho said. "If we were in another league, another profile of league, I would say immediately: 'Yes, we will do it.'
"In the Premier League the only thing I can say is that we can do it, but in the Premier League it's difficult to say we are going to do it.
"So many good teams, so many difficulties, long way to go, very difficult runs in front of us. I don't want to say that [we will win].
"We are a better team than last season. There was a clear evolution in our team. The evolution is not just based on the fact that we bought two fantastic players [Fabregas and Diego Costa], because today one of them [Costa] was not playing and the team was fantastic the same way.
"Our evolution was a team evolution and I'm really pleased with that."
Mourinho declined to give a prognosis on Costa, who has scored nine times in seven Premier League appearances this season.
The 32 million-pound summer signing from Atletico Madrid has been hampered with troublesome hamstring injuries yet played almost every minute for Spain during the international break.
Mourinho said: "After Arsenal he went to the national team, he played two big matches against Slovakia and Luxembourg, and he [came back] in conditions where he's not available to play for his club."
Mourinho said he had "no idea" when Costa would next be available, but ruled him out of Tuesday's Champions League clash with Maribor and would not comment on the prospect of a return at Manchester United next Sunday.
"I think he will be in great condition in mid-November to be back for the national team," he said. "That's for sure. Our medical department will take great care of him and mid-November he will be in perfect conditions.
"He will play for me when he has free time from national team."
Mourinho said Chelsea showed "big balls" -- like in March, writing on a reporter's notepad of his side's enhanced character -- after dominating the fiery derby contest.
Damien Delaney gave the visitors an escape when he received a second booking just three minutes after Cesar Azpilicueta had been sent off for a reckless lunge on Mile Jedinak.
The second half took place with 10 men on each side and Chelsea were made to sweat in the closing stages as Fraizer Campbell scored what proved to be just a consolation for the Eagles.
"What pleased me the most? The way we imposed our game," Mourinho said. "In their game they are better than us, the way they play, they are better than us. If we come here and we don't impose our game, we have no chance.
"From minute one to minute 94 we imposed our game. We had the ball, we were always in control. The only thing we didn't do well was not to score the third goal to kill the game and to give Palace always the chance to be in the game.''
Didier Drogba's introduction after Palace's reply, despite training alone due to an ankle problem, was then key according to Mourinho: "I needed him [to keep possession]. Didier for me was the best player in the last four minutes.
"This is what pleases me, the quality of our game but also the spirit of the group. We have a very good group of guys.''