ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE:CARLO ANCELOTTI'S conviction that Chelsea are too far behind Manchester United in the title race has wavered. The Italian believes his team's recent revival has now given them "a chance" of retaining their title, though he thinks the reigning champions cannot afford to drop another point if they are to overhaul the leaders.
Chelsea go into this afternoon’s contest at Stoke City nine points adrift of the top but with a game in hand and a trip to Old Trafford to come among their nine remaining fixtures, and bolstered by a recent sequence of three successive league wins.
That form has pepped confidence within the squad that United can be reined in, even if it would take the perfect run-in for the Londoners to secure their fourth league title in seven seasons.
“The players believe, and that is good,” Ancelotti said. “It means they’ve got good motivation to play, game by game. Nine points – even if we have a game in hand – is not too easy. They are not too close. But we have a chance. We will have a chance in the future if we concentrate and are ready for the next game. To have a chance we will have to win all the games in the Premier League. That’s our aim, to win all nine games.
“United cannot win all nine if we do that, because they still have to play against us. But, even so, if they win seven or eight, they’ll win the title and we won’t have a chance. It’s not in our hands. But, for any team, making a mistake at this stage of the season can be dangerous. Not just us.
Ancelotti is in the rare position of having a full-strength squad from which to choose at present, with Yossi Benayoun and Alex lacking only match practice after lengthy absences. That has added to the sense of optimism around the club, though the manager admits to thriving amid the pressure whipped up by the run-in. “I need that pressure to maintain focus, to stay concentrated on my job,” he said. “I like it – I’m better under pressure. If I’m too relaxed, it’s not good. Now, though, I’m excited: we have games every three days, in the Premier League and Champions League.”
There remain issues for Ancelotti to address, not least coaxing goals from his four main forwards. None of Fernando Torres, Nicolas Anelka, Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou has scored in the league since Torres made his first appearance after his arrival from Liverpool almost two months ago. “They’re one of the best groups of strikers given their skills. I wouldn’t swap any of them for anybody. But this team is showing the same skill and ability that we were able to use at the start of the season again. If United drop points, we will be ready, Ancelotti said.”
Guardian Service
