Drogba Eyes Special Triumph

Didier Drogba has set his sights on winning a Premier League title that would feel even more special than the 2006 triumph.

Manchester United have lifted the trophy for three successive seasons since Chelsea last finished top of the table.

Both teams are in the hunt this term, along with Arsenal, but it is the Blues who currently lead the way after winning 2-1 at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Chelsea still have five games to try and win before they can start celebrating but Drogba is determined to see the job through.

"It would mean more for us to win the league now having waited four years to win it back again," explained the striker.

"There are still five games to go and a lot of things can happen. But we're going to do everything to stay there and win this league."

Drogba came off the substitutes' bench to score Chelsea's second against Manchester United and he is delighted to have played a part in such an important victory.

"We're proud of what we did, the desire was so good. This was a very big result and we showed we are a good team and deserved to win.

"But we know we're not there yet. All I know is we want to win it a lot, to prove to people the team we are.

"I've always believed we could do it even though we lost points last month.

"We have some important games coming but we are more determined now."

Drogba concedes that Chelsea's elimination from the UEFA Champions League at the hands of Inter Milan in the last 16 might have given them an advantage over their title rivals in the league.

"Going out of the Champions League was not a nice feeling but it helps when you're out to win the league because there are so many games. It means you can stay fresh," he said.

"To come to United thinking we were going to win shows we're determined to take this title. We really want it."

Cole: Whoever Plays We Look Good

Fresh from scoring his first goal in four months it was a happy Joe Cole who spoke after the big win at Old Trafford.

The England international was one of the beneficiaries of Carlo Ancelotti's decisions to keep with the side that had done so well against Aston Villa the previous match and didn't disappoint. He will be hoping that an influential display that paid off his manager's faith and helped send Chelsea back to the top of the league also alerted Fabio Capello to his return to form, especially now an injury to David Beckham has cut the number of experienced options who can play wide on the right.

'You can't talk your way into the England squad,' Cole pointed out after Saturday's 2-1 win, 'but if I am playing regularly for a team fighting for the championship I will have every chance. But my main focus now is Chelsea. It is very important that this club gets back to the summit and I will fight every minute I can to win the league. I felt better on Saturday than I did last week and I am sure next week I will feel even better.

'It has been an up and down season for me,' he admitted.

'Coming back from an injury you need continuous games to get that match sharpness which I haven't had, but I got back into the side against Villa and I just need to do it consistently now to the end of the season.

'When I was coming back from injury I had a good run of games when the boys were away at the African Nations Cup and I felt I was getting my old sharpness back and I was creating goals. Then I picked up a little niggle, lost my place and when you are at a big club you are going to have to fight to get it back, so I have just been working hard. I hope I can keep my place now but the main thing is that Chelsea keep winning.'

Cole described Ancelotti's naming of an unchanged side that meant leaving top scorer Didier Drogba on the bench as a 'bold' move, but one that paid off with Nicolas Anelka's counter-attacking pace a concern for the home side when they pressed forward and Drogba fresh to make an impact late in the game. He also saw an altered formation working well.

'I enjoy playing on the right-hand side and we changed the system in January and things went really well, and now we have also changed the system in the last three games and things have gone really well, but it is more to do with how the boys are focused now and we are looking really good whoever comes into this team.

'You can't come to Old Trafford and play open football, you have to defend well from the front man right through to the goalkeeper.

'It was a tough game, playing against [Patrice] Evra who is one of the best left backs in the world, and we did a lot of defending, especially in the second half, but we were organised and did a good job as a team.

'It puts it back in our own hands which is where we wanted it. Of the five league games left, three are at home and there are some really tough away games. Try to win them is all we can do.'

AC Milan's Dropped Interest In Wolfsburg Striker Edin Dzeko Paves Way For Move To Chelsea

Milan are ready to drop their interest in hotly pursued Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko, with the striker now looking likely to join either Chelsea in the summer, according to the Daily Mail.

The 24-year-old expressed his desire to move to Milan last summer but the Italian giants could not meet his asking price and instead captured striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.

The Dutchman's recent good form, which has seen him score six goals since the winter break, has reportedly convinced the Italian side they do not recquire the services of Bosnian Dzeko, who is valued at £25 million.

Huntelaar scored in Milan's 3-2 win at Cagliari, prompting AC Milan sporting director Ariedo Braida to say: "Huntelaar is perfect. He scores and no one can kick like he does, so why should we sell him?"

The asking price is also out of the Serie A giant's price range, but not a problem for interested parties Chelsea and Manchester City.

Furthermore, Dzeko has attempted to distance himself from a move to Milan in recent weeks by inviting interest from elsewhere.

"I never said that I absolutely want Italy," he said, as quoted in the Mail.

"If the right offer comes in then I will say yes."

Chelsea are reportedly looking to strengthen their aging front-line, while City are not convinced with targetman Roque Santa Cruz and need an alternative to Emmanuel Adebayor up front.

Carlo Ancelotti Expects Joe Cole To Sign A New Contract At Chelsea

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti is in no doubt that Joe Cole will sign a new contract at Stamford Bridge.

The England midfielder could leave the west London club on a free transfer in the summer, as his current deal expires at the end of the season. Negotiations are ongoing regarding a new contract, but have yet to yield any positive results.

Nevertheless, Ancelotti is in little doubt that Cole will still be a Chelsea player next season.

"Joe Cole has the same focus as the rest of the team. He wants to play well and wants to win the title," the Italian told reporters after Cole scored in Saturday's 2-1 Premier League victory against Manchester United.

"For him, there is also a desire to go to the World Cup and if he carries on like he did here he will be there.

"Now he has some consistency in his game and that is good for him."

The Italian revealed that it is only financial details holding up the agreement of a new deal, with the club reportedly unwilling to match Cole's desired wage rise from £80,000-a-week to around £100,000. But Ancelotti, who has told the club he wants the midfielder to stay, is certain that will all be sorted in the near future.

"He will definitely sign a new contract. There is no problem, don't worry," he said.

"I've spoken a lot about Joe Cole with my club and everyone has a desire for him to stay at Chelsea and so does he.

"There is not a problem, it is an economical problem nothing else."

Yury Zhirkov Blasts Manchester United's Antonio Valencia, Claims Blues Deserved Win At Old Trafford

Chelsea winger Yury Zhirkov has accused Antonio Valencia of underhand tactics during the Blues' 2-1 win over Manchester United on Saturday.

Zhirkov, who can play as either a winger or a full-back, analysed his side's win over their Premier League rivals at Old Trafford and believes the Blues fully merited their vital victory.

"Without doubt, we created more chances and deserved to win," Zhirkov told Russian newspaper Bobsoccer.

"Manchester United tried very hard because they understand how important the outcome of this match was.

"I played on the left of defense, with hopes of connecting to the attack, but it turned out that I spent almost all the time in defence.

"United tried to put pressure on our goal, but we passed the test with flying colors."

The Russian international's deployment as a full-back during the clash saw him lock horns with the United winger Antonio Valencia, who he believes got away with fouling him throughout the match.

"He's a strong player, without doubt, but all too often he plays with his hands," said the £18 million summer signing from CSKA Moscow.

"He constantly grabbed me, pushed me, particularly when taking the ball back towards goal. The referee, unfortunately, didn't always stop his antics."

Chelsea are now in pole position to win the Premier League title, as the result on Saturday saw them leapfrog two points ahead of Sir Alex Ferguson's side.

"Everything now depends on us," Zhirkov said.

"This is an important victory, but we shouldn't be under any illusions.

"By and large, the title race has only just begun. Ahead of us are difficult matches, particularly against Liverpool and Tottenham.

"We're determined to win all our remaining matches and, also, gradually our injured players are returning."

Paulo Ferreira's Freshness Kept Ryan Giggs Pinned Back

The impressive Portuguese full-back was at the heart of Chelsea's dominance against a jaded Manchester United.

Selection and Shape

Chelsea, with no midweek game in Europe, would have gained valuable recovery time for any knocks to clear and Carlo Ancelotti retained the same line-up for the first time this season after the thrashing of Aston Villa. That restricted Didier Drogba to the bench and allowed Nicolas Anelka to roam in isolation up front, though it was no surprise that the busier Deco was preferred to the stronger yet more pedestrian Michael Ballack. John Terry and Alex would have been delighted by the absence of Wayne Rooney but wary of the threat of Antonio Valencia and Ryan Giggs from wide. Preventing Manchester United's wingers from getting in behind Yuri Zhirkov and Paulo Ferreira was key to Chelsea's defensive approach.

Tactics and Teamwork

Chelsea began the game in aggressive fashion and set the pace, imposing their game-plan on their hosts. Zhirkov and Ferreira got extra tight to United's wide players and ran them back, forcing them to defend at every opportunity. They went forward with confidence as Chelsea clamped down on midfield, squeezing the play and suffocating United's rhythm. Darren Fletcher was choked by Frank Lampard's presence and Paul Scholes, so important for United, was unable to find Giggs in the first period. Giggs seemed marooned near the touchline, desperate for some service, and constantly having to check Ferreira's runs on the outside. Dimitar Berbatov, marked by Terry, needed closer support but Park Ji-sung was drifting centrally and not troubling Mikel John Obi. The Nigerian was rarely pulled out of position. Terry pushed his full-backs tight and, with Joe Cole dancing down the right and Florent Malouda working slightly narrower on the left, the visitors imposed themselves on a jaded United. Gary Neville and Patrice Evra were fully occupied. Ancelotti would have been happy at half-time: Chelsea had played like the home team, on the front foot, with Petr Cech a smiling spectator.

Did they succeed?

Ultimately, yes. Although United responded by playing their back four further forward after the break, Chelsea's determination rarely wavered. Scholes and Fletcher worked harder to find some spacedid find space, and Giggs moved further in-field, which gave more muscle to the United midfield and Evra, more importantly, the opportunity to charge into the space vacated by the veteranforward. But Chelsea increasingly held their full-backs, Ferreira and Zhirkov checking their first-half ambition and, sitting on their lead, the visitors grafted with little space between their back-line and front. The manager used his substitutions well – hard-working forwards Joe Cole and Anelka were replaced by fresh legs and real threats in Drogba and Salomon Kalou – though there was no need to change the system. Although United had more of the ball in the second period, without the individual threat of Rooney they were unable to get goal-side of a well-organised Chelsea team. Berbatov had a couple of free sights at goal but United lacked a spark after a demanding week, while Chelsea, fresher and playing with more confidence, ended deserved winners.

Didier Drogba 'Frustrated' By Substitute Role Against Manchester United

Didier Drogba spoke of his frustration at failing to make the starting line-up against Manchester United and it is an emotion he may have to get used to from now until the end of the season.

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti appears to have accepted that fitting Drogba – Saturday’s match-winner – and Nicolas Anelka into the same team does not enhance the prospects of victory and will use the former’s injury concerns, with a knee problem and a pending hernia operation, to rotate the pair.

The irrepressible form of Florent Malouda and Joe Cole’s improving displays have strengthened the manager’s hand, inevitably reverting to a variation of Chelsea’s familiar 4-3-3, but he will have to be careful not to alienate Drogba, in particular, as Luiz Felipe Scolari found to his cost.

Not that the Ivorian is complaining. “I was frustrated not to start but the manager has played this team before [against Aston Villa the previous weekend] and I think he knows how to do it,” he said. “It was a good decision because I went on and scored.”

Drogba may not have felt the same had he not registered his 25th league goal of the campaign — albeit from an offside position — and also his first in the league against United. “Maybe you don’t need to score a lot, just the important goals, and maybe this one was one of those goals,” he said, his other against United being the only goal in the 2007 FA Cup final. It will be fascinating to see whether he starts this Saturday’s semi-final against Villa.

It is regaining the league title, rather than retaining the cup, that matters most to Chelsea, however. “I think it would mean more for us to do it now having waited for three years to win it back again,” Drogba said. “All I know is that we want to win it a lot, to prove to people the team we are.” There was, he admitted, also added annoyance at Chelsea’s recent results.

“We had the frustration of losing points we should not have dropped in the last month,” Drogba said.

There was some kidology in Ancelotti’s decision not to begin with Drogba, having indicated it was unthinkable not to use the 32 year-old. That had been taken to mean a place in the starting XI but, in the event, it meant not to use him at all in the match. “I decided to keep him on the bench to use him during the match,” Ancelotti said. Drogba was the ultimate impact substitute while Anelka’s greater mobility, linking with Cole and, in particular, Malouda, and creating space for the pair, was effective against United’s tired limbs.

Drogba also spoke of his own fitness concerns which may be a worry to the new, watching Ivory Coast coach Sven-Goran Eriksson with the World Cup so close. “I’ve got some difficult moments but it’s a long season with a lot of games and I’m OK,” Drogba said. “I will do everything I can to keep playing. I don’t know yet if I’ll have to have a (hernia) operation. I have to decide with the manager of Chelsea and the manager of the Ivory Coast.”

Andy Gray: Ancelotti Is Manager Of The Year

Over the next few weeks, the voting will take place for the League Manager's Association and Barclays Premier League Manager of the Year awards, and it's worth thinking about who is in contention to win them.

The latter should be pretty straightforward. Only once has the award not been handed out to the manager who won the Premier League title that season, back in 2000-1 when George Burley guided his newly-promoted Ipswich Town side to fifth place in the league and (as it then was), a UEFA Cup spot.

Following on from that, it's safe to assume that one of Carlo Ancelotti, Sir Alex Ferguson or Arsene Wenger will be using that particular trophy to decorate their mantelpiece. With Chelsea two points clear of Man Utd and three of Arsenal with just five games to and trading at 1.6 on Betfair for the title, the engravers are surely already checking the correct spelling of Carlo Ancelotti.

The League Manager's Association award is more likely to go to a manager whose team have exceeded expectations and over-performed given the strength of their team, rather than actually winning the title.

That's why David Moyes has won this award on no less than three occasions since joining Everton, despite never coming close to winning the title. He's unlikely to be winning it again this year with a seventh place finish in the league the best he can realistically hope for and no real success in any of the three Cups his side were in. The way I see it there are three strong candidates, though a lot obviously depends on what happens between now and the end of the season.

The first guy I feel is in with a shout is Roy Hodgson. Two years ago to the day Fulham were heading for The Championship and needed a late Danny Murphy goal at Portsmouth on the last day of the season to avoid the drop.

Now they're sitting pretty in mid-table whilst taking out the likes of former UEFA Cup winners Shakhtar Donetsk and former Champions League winners Juventus in the Europa League. If they went all the way, Roy would be a strong candidate for the award.

As would Harry Redknapp, though I feel he'd either need to finish fourth in the league or go on and win the FA Cup to really make a case for being given the award. I also like the credentials of Alex McLeish.

Having recruited experience campaigners such as Lee Bowyer, Barry Ferguson and Kevin Phillips rather than investing heavily in terms of transfer fees, he's guided Birmingham City to the dizzy heights of ninth, when many would have thought they'd be scrapping to avoid a swift return to The Championship, having just been promoted.

My vote would be on one of these three, though if Carlo Ancelotti won the title in his first season in English football, I'm not sure many could say he didn't deserve it.

Sir Alex has once again done a remarkable job this season when you consider he lost two of his most important assets in Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez last summer, and if he somehow managed to go on and win the Champions League, he'd certainly be in with a shout.