Champions League Draw 2011: Chelsea Are the EPL Side with the Toughest Group

The 2011-12 Champions League draw has come and gone, resulting in a tough draw for Chelsea. UEFA held the draw in Monaco on Thursday, as the best football clubs in the world found out their group draws for Europe's biggest tournament.

Manchester City are in Group A with Bayern Munich, but Villareal and Napoli shouldn't provide many problems. Manchester United, who finished second last year, should cruise through Group B; I wouldn't even be surprised if they won every match. Arsenal have German champions Dortmund. Other than that, the Gunners should be the class of the group. Assuming they can figure out a solid lineup, I don't think Arsenal will have trouble advancing.

Chelsea are in the toughest group, from top to bottom, in the competition. When looking at the other groups that English Premier League sides drew, it's obvious that Chelsea's draw wasn't nearly as favorable.

Valencia are a perennial Champions League squad, as they have qualified for the Champions League in four of the past six years. Last year, they were knocked out by Schalke in the round of 16.

Needless to say, they should not be overlooked. If things go their way, they could even win this group.

Bayer Leverkusen are not a household name across Europe, but they have steadily improved over the past few years. Last year, they finished second in the Bundesliga, and they are hoping to continue moving up on the European scale. Experience is key in the Champions League, which could prove to be troublesome to Leverkusen. However, they are talented enough to cause trouble in the group, and with a little luck, they could even advance.

KRC Genk are returning to the Champions League group stage for the first time in nine years. Even though they are inexperienced, the Belgian side will prove to be a tough squad to score on. They do not stand a very good chance of advancing, but they could steal some points that could prevent a team from advancing.

Chelsea may appear to be the class of the group, but Blues fans shouldn't get ahead of themselves.

Andre Villas-Boas' side has been improving. Unfortunately, it's a pretty long process. Luckily, Chelsea have shown signs of improvement, and the group stage is still three weeks away.

Chelsea can't afford to overlook these teams. The Blues may be the most well-known club in the group, but that doesn't guarantee them anything. Each of these sides will be a tough draw, and Chelsea need to maximize points at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea should be able to advance. However, that advancement will not come easy at all.

Without a doubt, Chelsea will be the English side that has to overcome the toughest group.