NICOLAS ANELKA has created unwelcome pressure for his Chelsea team-mates by saying that only victory at Liverpool next weekend will keep them in the race to return the Premier League title to Stamford Bridge after three years.
“On February 1st at Anfield we have to absolutely beat Liverpool. We’re two points off United and Liverpool, the race is very open. But it is a very hard race. Up until now we’ve had bad games against United, Liverpool and Arsenal,” said the striker of Chelsea’s poor record under Luiz Felipe Scolari against their Big Four rivals.
This season Chelsea have lost to Arsenal and Liverpool at home and drew with United at Stamford Bridge before Alex Ferguson’s team defeated them 3-0 at Old Trafford a fortnight ago.
“We can’t continue dropping points against our direct rivals, otherwise we can say goodbye to the title,” said Anelka, who is the Premier League’s top scorer with 14 goals.
The France international also said that the criticism directed at Scolari, following the club’s poor form, is unfair and that the manager should be given time. “He’s Brazilian – he wants good football, attacking football, which is ideal for me. But he has only just arrived in England. He’s still learning. English football is not like that of Brazil or Portugal.”
The 29-year-old has so far been first choice ahead of Didier Drogba, who was dropped for Chelsea’s two most recent games after an insipid display at United. This has caused speculation that the Ivory Coast captain may leave, possibly for Manchester City as part of a swap deal for Robinho, who walked out on his club’s Tenerife training camp and whom Scolari hoped to sign last summer.
The City manager, Mark Hughes, refused to deny or confirm he has any interest in Drogba when asked about the striker. “There are stories about all kinds of players – we seemed to be linked with everyone. So there’s so much speculation I shouldn’t have to add to it,” he said.
Chelsea, though, expect Drogba to still be their player when the transfer window closes and have told him he is very much a valued part of their future plans. Drogba also feels he is returning to his best and is keen to prove a point.
“I’ve not played for the last two matches and I’m in a hurry to return to my best level and be a first-team regular again. If you look back to last May, I’ve been out for four to six months and it has been very difficult for me,” said Drogba, who has been hampered by the knee injury picked up against CFR Cluj in the Champions League last October and was later suspended for three games after throwing a coin back into the crowd during the League Cup tie with Burnley.
“But now I feel in top form. I know what I am capable of doing and the real satisfaction for me is that my knee is completely right.”
Chelsea’s captain, John Terry, will not feature in tomorrow’s FA Cup fourth-round tie against Ipswich Town at Stamford Bridge because of concerns over his back injury. The central defender felt a spasm as he warmed up last Saturday before the Premier League victory over Stoke City and he had to withdraw from the team.
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