Kalou Taking Aim At Title

Chelsea's in-form winger Salomon Kalou is in the mood to fire the Blues to their first league title since 2006 after grabbing a first hat-trick for the club in his last home outing.

Kalou smashed a treble as Chelsea demolished Stoke 7-0 and the Ivory Coast international admits he is in the best form of his career in England as the Blues stand on the brink of a Barclays Premier League and FA Cup Double.

Kalou, 24, has started three out of the last four games and is determined to win his first Barclays title by helping Chelsea to beat Wigan in their final home match of the season.

Three points against the Latics would guarantee Carlo Ancelotti's side the Barclays crown in the Italian's first season in England and Kalou is in the kind of form to help.

"I think it is my best form and I think it is because I keep playing," said the Ivorian.

"Before I used to play one game and then not play and then play the next game. Now I have started the last couple of games and I am looking forward to finishing the season strongly.

"I have scored a lot of hat-tricks before with Feyenoord. It was something that I was looking forward to doing at Chelsea and they never came.

"To do it at this part of the season is very important for me and for the team because that win against Stoke gave a boost for the team to go for the title. I hope Sunday will be the same scenario and we will win at home in front of the fans.

"After 10 months of hard work, if we don't capitalise on Sunday all that work will be in vain. Just one game can spoil everything and we have to play like we want to be champions.

"In the whole season you can't play at the same level and be on top every time. The difference in winning the title is when you are not on top form you have to come back to the basics where you fight for every game, and that is what we do well.

"I get better every season and I want to get better every season. I can learn a lot.

"The second season I played better than the first. The third season I scored important goals for the club and this season I think I am playing stronger than I ever did before.

"I think that hard work is paying off and every year I can develop myself as a player and one day become that player people expect me to be at Chelsea."

Kalou insists the Chelsea squad is doing nothing different in terms of their preparation for Sunday's crucial encounter and while other teams may show some fatigue, the Blues are motivated by the prize on offer.

"We are just training like we train before every game and even if it is the most important game of the season, if we play like we know how to play then it should be a nice game to watch," added Kalou.

"We should go there and enjoy the moment because you don't get these opportunities always. Playing for the title in front of your own supporters, we have to enjoy that and make them enjoy it as well and hopefully in the end we can all celebrate together.

"I think everyone feels the season has been a long season but we don't show it because we have a big prize at the end to play for. When you have such a good prize at the end the adrenalin makes you not think about being tired."

If Chelsea clinches the title on Sunday, they can become only the seventh team in the history of the English game to achieve the double by beating Portsmouth in the FA Cup final on May 15 and Kalou is determined to finally start such a massive game.

In 2007, he came on during extra-time in the FA Cup Final and remained on the bench in last year's final success over Everton.

"It's step by step and I have never even started any type of final for Chelsea," said Kalou.

"This could be my first one and it would be a special game for me which I am looking forward to."

Mikel Out Of Cup Final

Chelsea have been dealt a blow with the news that John Obi Mikel will miss the FA Cup final after undergoing minor knee surgery.

The 23-year-old midfielder has been out for the last three weeks following a challenge from Bolton's Kevin Davies in last month's Premier League clash.

He started the next game against Tottenham but was forced off early on after a recurrence of the problem.

Mikel will also miss the last game of the league campaign on Sunday, when a win for the Blues against Wigan at Stamford Bridge will be enough to clinch the title.

The Nigerian has started three FA Cup games this season, against Cardiff, Stoke and Aston Villa, and Michael Ballack could deputise in his place.

Morgan Eyes Blues Deal

Wolves say they are planning to hold talks with Chelsea over the possibility of keeping Michael Mancienne next season.

The England under-21 star has impressed during his season-long loan spell at Molineux and Wolves boss Mick McCarthy is keen to extend the loan into next season as well.

Chelsea are likely to sanction the move but all talks are on hold until the end of the season as the Blues are more concerned about Sunday's final game of the season against Wigan.

"We would like to see Michael again," Wolves owner Steve Morgan said. "There's a conversation to be had with Chelsea. He has been a great signing for us, a first-class player and someone we would love to see wearing a Wolves shirt next season.

"But Chelsea have their hands full at the moment. They aren't ready to open talks yet. It will happen in due course."

Chelsea To Sign Gonzalo Higuain From Real Madrid For £34m Should Bid For Liverpool's Fernando Torres Fail

Chelsea will turn to Spain for alternatives should their bid to sign Fernando Torres from Liverpool this summer fail, and make an offer for Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain, according to a report from The Daily Telegraph.

The report claims that Higuain is known to Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti and that Luciano Moggi, a former Juventus executive who is close to the Chelsea boss, is pushing the claims of the Argentine.

The 22-year-old forward is requesting a salary of €4.5 million (£3.9m), and would also expect payments of €4m to be paid to his agents for brokering the deal, something which could prove to be a sticking point in future given Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich's views on such matters.

French-born Argentine international Higuain has probably pushed himself into Diego Maradonna's squad for the World Cup this summer after hitting 20 goals in La Liga with Real.

However, Chelsea are only expected to bid fro Higuain should their attempts to sign Torres stall, whilst their interest in Atletico Madrid's Sergio Aguero also seems to have cooled with the asking price of €50m being deemed too high by the Blues hierarchy.

Gianluigi Buffon On Chelsea Radars

Juventus goalkeeper Gianlugi Buffon is Premier League-bound with Chelsea ready to land him, according to Italian newspaper reports.

Tuttosport and La Gazzetta dello Sport are claiming €25 million-rated Buffon is heading for the Premier League and he has asked directors to resolve his future before the World Cup in June.

The 32-year-old Italian international said his intention is to remain at the club, but should he be sold his first choice destination would be England.

"My will to leave is the same as Juventus', and if I do then I would like to move to England," he told Sky Sport 24 on Sunday.

That seemed to open the door to his Turin exit, and both Chelsea and United are on stand-by. Carlo Ancelotti is a keen admirer of him having worked with the keeper at both Parma and Juventus.

Buffon's future could be linked to the decision over a new coach at Juventus, with Rafael Benitez, Cesare Prandelli and Luciano Spalletti all linked with taking over the hot seat.

Should the goalkeeper part company with the Bianconeri, the club is looking at Cagliari shot-stopper Federico Marchetti as a first choice replacement. Palermo's Salvatore Sirigu and Udinese custodian Samir Handanovic are also on the list of choices.

Frank Lampard Haunted By England's Penalty Shoot-Out Failures

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has said England need more "self belief" should their World Cup ambitions depend on the outcome of a penalty shoot-out in South Africa.

Since the 1990 World Cup, England have been knocked out of five major tournaments on penalties - losing to Portugal (2004 and 2006) and Germany (1990 and 1996) on two occasions.

Argentina accounted for England on spot-kicks at the 1998 World Cup in France.

Lampard believes England can lift the World Cup but says the fear of being eliminated by penalties does haunt him.

"I think it has become a bit of an issue in the mind,” Lampard told The Sun.

"No matter how well we have played in a match, when it comes down to penalties, you think: 'Oh s*** here we go again'.

"Once you've got that mindset, it is hard to get out of it.

"That's why the Germans are so good at it. They get to penalties and they have a confidence, an arrogance I suppose that they are going to win.

"England need more of that self-belief."

Lampard has been one of England's stand-out performers this season, scoring 21 goals for Chelsea, who are in pole position to clinch the Premier League title on the final day of the season.

Drogba Kicks Off 'Sports In The City' Initiative

Didier Drogba has launched a new sport program to get young Londoners active this summer.

Chelsea's UK charity partner Help a London Child will run a Sport in the City initiative offering thousands of young people aged 7 to 15 the chance to experience taster sessions in sport during the summer holidays.

Utilising funding from the Premier League's Creating Chances program and Chelsea's Community Shield allocation from The FA, a specially-designed program will be drawn up to provide activities in a variety of sports including football, dance, boxercise, tennis, squash, badminton, circuits, basketball, swimming, breakdance, Futsal, trampolining, streetdance, table tennis, cheerleading, kickboxing, netball and hockey.

The Chelsea striker joined children from a Help a London Child-funded project in north Fulham to kick off the scheme.

'It is really important that kids enjoy sport from an early age and I hope this campaign will see thousands of young people continue with sport throughout their lives,' Drogba says.

'Obviously sport can promote health but it also helps bring people together and can help tackle many of the problems that young people face by giving them positive distractions. I hope the scheme goes from strength to strength and more and more people get involved.'

Sport in the City will form part of the Free Sport for All program, launched by 95.8 Capital FM's Help a London Child in 2008, which provides children with the opportunity to take part in sport across London, in particular disabled and disadvantaged children. The scheme will run throughout the summer holidays this year.

Tamsyn Clark, acting director of charities said, 'The new Sport in the City initiative is a fantastic addition to the work that Help a London Child is already doing with Free Sport for All.Sport has such a positive effect on young people, teaching them teamwork and communication skills and with the Olympics coming to London this is an ideal opportunity to get children interested in sport. Players like Didier are an inspiration to young people and we're delighted to have both his and Chelsea's support.'

The day with Didier was made possible by Chelsea fan Luca Doimi who won the prize at Didier's Foundation dinner and donated the coaching session to Help a London Child. Mr. Doimi's generous contribution was the inspiration behind Sport in the City and along with the Premier League and The FA has made this fantastic initiative possible

Chelsea's Academy Hailed By Drummy

Chelsea youth team manager Dermot Drummy has hailed the success of the west London side’s Under-18 side after they beat Aston Villa to win the FA Youth Cup earlier this week.

The Blues have relied heavily on big-money foreign signings to bring success to Stamford Bridge during the Roman Abramovich era but have gradually promoted the rise of their young stars in recent seasons with Carlo Ancelotti stressing the importance of the Chelsea Academy.

Speaking in the aftermath of Chelsea’s 2-1 win over Villa, Drummy told the club’s official website:

"You have to give credit to the young lads for playing that way in front of all those people.

"To take the ball down and play when you might take a risk and the crowd sees you make a mistake takes courage and a strong philosophy.

"They did it admirably. The crowd was absolutely fantastic, they got behind the boys.

"It was a great Youth Cup Final over two legs. Full credit to Aston Villa, they performed very well and scored with a great header.

"The game was played in the right spirit, there was no moaning at the referee and the Villa coaches were very complimentary about us at the end and that was nice.

"I am very pleased for everyone in the academy, especially for (academy manager) Neil Bath, who has been here 14 years.

"It is a fantastic Academy and we have got to keep that going."

Cascarino: Chelsea Won The Title Against ‘Pathetic’ Liverpool Last Weekend

I have been asked numerous times this week whether I think Chelsea will drop points at home to Wigan at the weekend and the answer has to be…no. The 2-0 win at Liverpool effectively means that Carlo Ancelotti’s team won the title last weekend as I cannot see Roberto Martinez’ team stopping the Blues at Stamford Bridge.

People argue that amazing things happen all the time in football and while that’s true, 99% of the time it doesn’t. I have no doubts that Chelsea will beat Wigan relatively comfortably and I would be more than happy to take bets from whoever thinks otherwise. The tough game in this run-in should have been at Anfield but to be honest, Rafa Benitez’ team were pretty pathetic on the day and not what you would expect from what is a great club. Ok, they put up a fight for 20 or so minutes but football is played over 90 minutes and the Reds in this time were distinctly second best. After all, Chelsea didn’t even play particularly well themselves but still won at a canter as Liverpool didn’t manage a shot on target for god knows how long.

Liverpool were there for the taking which is a sad indictment of how far they’ve fallen this season. Fair enough, they lost a draining Europa League semi-final against Atletico Madrid on Thursday night and were without their best striker but a club of their standard should be able to bounce back. The Reds team had the look of a side that would be glad to see the back of what has been a simply terrible season. Even at the end of the match the fans left in droves as a half empty Anfield clapped off their team after a 2009/10 campaign to forget.

Chelsea will win the title but even they haven’t played as well as they can through much of the campaign. They were simply awful at Tottenham when they were really given the run around which you just wouldn’t expect from this Chelsea team but they remain top and will lift the title with the double looking a certainty.

The big four clubs have all been weaker than they have been in recent seasons but out of all of them, Chelsea were weakened the least. Manchester United lost two top quality players in Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo while Liverpool have never recovered from the sale of Xabi Alonso while Arsenal have flattered to deceive but ultimately not rectified the obvious frailties in their squad. Chelsea kept their squad together and although they barely strengthened it, that has been enough.

Next season will be even more interesting with the likes of Tottenham, Manchester City and Everton likely to be up there. All of those teams will strengthen with City definitely looking to bring in more talent which makes them a real threat to the usual status quo. Liverpool are the main team out of the big four that needs to strengthen the most which was backed up by comments from Rafa Benitez that he needed five or six new players in the summer. Now if you have been manager of a club for as long as the Spaniard that is a big statement as he has had enough time to build a capable squad, it’s not as if he has just joined a club that needs an overhaul, this is the team he has built. Those comments are a sad indictment of his own work and surely doesn’t reflect well on his own purchases.

Chelsea may secure the title this weekend but for me, the win at Anfield was the result that means the Blues are on course for a historic domestic double. Manchester United fans will be praying but there won’t be any shocks at Stamford Bridge this weekend.

Cech Proud Of Tough Blues

Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech has hailed the team's resilience this season as they stand on the brink of an historic League and FA Cup double.

Chelsea's victory over Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday made it six out of six against this season's Champions League-qualified teams - the first time in the Premier League era that a clean sweep over the other three has been achieved.

It is a marked contrast to last season when Chelsea won just one of the corresponding games - away to Arsenal. The other five yielded a home draw to Manchester United and four defeats.

But Cech highlights the team's resilience as another reason why Carlo Ancelotti's side top the Barclays summit with just one game left to play.

Whenever Chelsea suffered a setback, the Blues returned stronger and that is a major boost for Cech.

"We are confident and we know that we shouldn't lose two games in a row," said Cech. "We know that when something goes wrong, we always want to put it right the next game and so far it has worked well.

"We have won all of those big games home and away. Last season, before the change of the manager, we gave points to our rivals."

Sunday's results moved Cech level with Liverpool's Pepe Reina in the race for the Premier League Golden Glove. Both now have 16 clean sheets.

But Cech is putting all thoughts of personal glory aside as Chelsea chase their first title since 2006 this weekend.

Victory over Wigan at Stamford Bridge on Sunday would deliver the Barclays crown in Ancelotti's first season in charge.

"If at the beginning of the season someone had said we were going to play the last game at home and a win would win the league, I think everybody would have signed for it," declared Cech. "So we know what we have to do. We play at home and it is always good if you can win a title at home."

Nicolas Anelka Ready To Sign Two-Year Contract Extension At Chelsea

Chelsea forward Nicolas Anelka is close to signing a two-year extension to remain at the club, according to the Daily Mail.

The French international's current deal expires at the end of next season, and both club and player have been in negotiations for a number of months. Anelka has reportedly been looking for a £40,000 raise from his current £80,000-a-week deal, which the club have been resistant to agreeing to as they attempt to cut costs across the board.

Both Michael Ballack and Joe Cole have seen their contract talks flounder in recent weeks over wage demands, but it appears either Anelka or club chief executive Ron Gourlay have made some compromises as the forward now looks set to secure his future at Stamford Bridge until 2013.

The 31-year-old has scored nine goals in 32 Premier League games this season, adding a further seven assists.

Hernandez Pleased With Chelsea Interest

Spanish international Pablo Hernandez admits he is happy to learn that Chelsea is tracking him.

The 25-year-old Valencia wide man is reportedly high on the Blues' list of targets for the summer.

Sources close to the Spanish club have confirmed that Chelsea scouts have been watching him, although no contact has been made between the two clubs.

Speaking after Valencia's 3-1 win over Xerez on Tuesday, Hernandez admitted he was happy to hear about Chelsea following him.

"Chelsea? It is flattering to me because it demonstrates that I am doing well this season," he said.

"But now is not the moment for me to speak about this subject.

"As normal this news appears at the end of the season but the important thing for me is to continue getting victories for Valencia and to confirm our place in the Champions League."

No Chelsea Approach For Thiago

The agent of AC Milan defender Thiago Silva has played down reports linking the Brazilian with a move to Chelsea.

Sunday newspapers credited Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti, formerly of Milan, with an interest in a reunion with the 25-year-old.

But Thiago's representative, Paulo Fernando Tonietto, insists he has not been contacted by Stamford Bridge officials and that his client wants to see out his current deal at the San Siro, which lasts until 2013.

"Thiago Silva is very happy at Milan and he wants to honour his contract," Tonietto told calciomercato.it. "Galliani says he is not for sale and he is the boss."

On the rumoured interest of Chelsea, Tonietto said: "I know nothing because if there was a team interested in Thiago they should contact AC Milan, I am just his agent.

"I can only say that Ancelotti knows him well, and not only him.

"I think that Thiago Silva is the best defender in the world and these stories are further evidence of his good work this season."

Chelsea Ready To Outbid Manchester City In The Race For Liverpool Striker Fernando Torres

Chelsea will try to blow Manchester City out of the water in the race for Liverpool striker Fernando Torres this summer, planning a bid that could reach £70million to bring the Spaniard to Stamford Bridge.

Introductory talks over Torres have already occurred and Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is now ready to do whatever it takes to acquire the 26-year-old star from the Reds, according to the Daily Mail.

The Blues can clinch their third Premier League title under Abramovich with a victory over Wigan Athletic at Stamford Bridge, and still have a FA Cup final against Portsmouth to look forward to.

However, despite the likelihood that Chelsea win the Double this season, Abramovich will be looking to add more stars in an effort to make a run at a Champions League title.

Torres came to Liverpool from Atletico Madrid in 2007 for £20m and recently committed to the Reds by signing a four year contract which pays him £110,000-a-week.

However, a disappointing season in which Liverpool was unable to qualify for the Champions League, and the possible departure of manager Rafael Benitez could force Torres to depart Anfield in the summer.

Manchester City will have a better chance to sign Torres if they beat out Tottenham Hotspur for the last Champions League spot, but playing for established contenders like Chelsea could be a more attractive prospect for the Spaniard.

Chelsea Set For Fight With Top European Clubs To Sign Gimnasia La Plata Star Fabian Rinaudo

Chelsea will have to battle the cream of Europe for highly rated Argentinian holding midfielder Fabian Rinaudo, according to a report in the Daily Mail.

The 22-year-old enjoys a growing reputation in the game, after a solid season with current club Gimnasia la Plata. Compared to Liverpool's Javier Mascherano, the combative holding player has reportedly caught the eye of Blues manager Carlo Ancelotti.

The club will have to move quickly if they are to capture their man as the diminuitive youngster reportedly has a number of admirers around Europe. Spanish side Valencia have reportedly already tabled a £5 million bid for his services, while Galatasaray, Napoli and Juventus have all been linked.

In the past Everton have been tipped with an offer for Rinaudo, although the Toffees are likely to be muscled out by the increased competition if a bidding war starts this summer.

Rinauldo has been capped for Argentina by manager Diego Maradona, and is on his provisional list of players that could be in his World Cup squad.

Schalke Linked With Chelsea Midfielder Michael Ballack

German international Michael Ballack recently admitted that his Chelsea future is in doubt as contract negotiations haven't resulted in a new deal yet and the midfielder could very well leave Stamford Bridge this summer.

The experienced midfielder was previously linked with Inter, but a return to the Bundesliga now also appears to be an option with Schalke having shown an interest in signing Ballack.

"We are indeed interested in signing Michael Ballack. I'm confident that he's ready to accept a pay cut if he decides to return to the Bundesliga this summer," Schalke coach Felix Magath was quoted as saying by Berliner Kurier.

However, the 33-year-old midfielder has not given up on a new Chelsea deal just yet and contract talks are expected to be resumed at the end of the season.

Ballack played for Chemnitzer, Kaiserslautern, Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich before he joined Chelsea in 2006. He has since made over 100 league appearances with the Londoners.

Ancelotti To Present Summer Transfer Target List To Abramovich

Carlo Ancelotti will present his summer transfer target list to owner Roman Abramovich on Thursday.

Abramovich has so far held back his spending plans but with the club on the verge of the Double, he is now expected to loosen the purse strings for Ancelotti.

Among the names Ancelotti is expected to put forward will be AC Milan pair, striker Alexandre Pato and Brazilian compatriot defender Thiago Silva, in a joint deal that would cost the club about £70 million.

He may have to settle for lesser lights, though, with Abramovich known to be reluctant to spend the required £40m on another Ancelotti target, Atletico Madrid and Argentina striker Sergio Aguero.

Roman Abramovich Set To Demand Why Carlo Ancelotti's Chelsea Team Did Not Win Champions League

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti will be asked to explain to owner Roman Abramovich why his side have not won the Champions League - even if the Italian coach manages to seal a Premier League and FA Cup double, according to a report from The Sun.

The Blues will win the league if they beat Wigan Athletic at the weekend, whilst they meet Portsmouth in the FA Cup final on May 15.

Nevertheless, director Mike Forde insisted that there will still be a comprehensive review process at the end of the campaign to establish just why the Londoners failed on the continental stage.

"The day after we win the title we will ask ourselves why we didn't win the Champions League.

"In football it is about getting better every day, that's what we are aiming for.

"[Jose] Mourinho started with this vision years ago and he passed the torch successfully to other big managers like Guus Hiddink and Ancelotti."

Forde also insisted that the club were working well when so many fine coaches appeared to want to come to Stamford Bridge.

"That the best coaches in the world think we are doing a good job is clear," he added.

"Carlo Ancelotti brought only one assistant with him and that tells us we have a good staff of our own - and that's what it is all about in the end.

"So the way we are working, that's not a secret - every club in the world can have a copy of that.

"The real secret, if you can call it that, is the people who work for us."

FA Youth Cup Victory Points To Bright New Age For Chelsea

The next fortnight may be littered with silverware for Chelsea though they are already celebrating their first trophy of the season, slipped in almost under the radar. The FA Youth Cup was won for the first time in 49 years with a pair of superbly executed second-half goals. The senior side will hope this is a sign of things to come.

Aston Villa can take great heart from their 3-2 aggregate defeat here but victory will be seen as significant given the focus placed on – and finance poured into – Chelsea's youth system. Carlo Ancelotti is due to meet the club's hierarchy this week for the latest round of discussions over summer transfer policy, though there has already been a shift in their approach.

Where once there were limitless funds to strengthen, the Italian has already emphasised his commitment to youth development by admitting last month that a quintet of youngsters – he singled out Jeffrey Bruma, Fabio Borini, Gaël Kakuta, Patrick van Aanholt and the 21-year-old Nemanja Matic – will be regulars in his match-day squads next term.

Only one of those five featured here. Bruma, the 18-year-old centre-half who has made two substitute appearances in the Premier League this season, planted a free header wide early on. There were better indications of his quality thereafter but Ancelotti will have been frustrated at the ease with which Kofi Poyser leapt above the centre-half to flick in Villa's opening goal just after the half-hour. Bruma is better than that.

Of those emerging from the academy set-up, the manager has similarly high hopes for Jacob Mellis, the 15-year-old Nathaniel Chalobah and Josh McEachran. The last, who has been training once a week with the first-team squad, will sign a professional contract at the end of the season. He was a blur of clever touches here, growing into the contest. The right-back, Billy Clifford, also impressed while Conor Clifford battered in a fine late winner.

They could yet become familiar names. Ancelotti intends to follow Arsène Wenger's approach to the Carling Cup next season, cramming his side with younger blood. The team that went out of that competition at Blackburn in this season's quarter-final included 11 full internationals, with five players over 30 and none younger than 22. Given that John Terry, in the stands tonight, was the last youth-team graduate to establish himself in the senior set-up at this club, the hope is that times are changing.

Roman Abramovich wants this to happen and his sporting director, Frank Arnesen, is aware of the need to cultivate players capable of making their mark in the Premier League given the investment made in youth team development in recent years. "It's not easy for the coach to bring players in [to the first team]," Arnesen said. "A club like Chelsea is all about winning. You can't have young players in the team and not be winning."

The implementation of the Premier League's Grow Your Own policy, by which eight homegrown players – registered with an English or Welsh club for at least three years before their 21st birthday – must be included in a 25-man squad to be declared on 1 September, will effectively force their hand. "It will give clubs an extra incentive to invest in youth," the Premier League's chief executive, Richard Scudamore, said. In that context the departures of such seniors as Juliano Belletti, Deco and Hilário are more understandable.

Villa, winners of this competition in 2002 when a team that included Liam Ridgwell and Steven Davis defeated Wayne Rooney's Everton, are already an academy success story. Ryan Simmonds drew a fine save from Sam Walker before Poyser's third goal of the cup run – superbly taken after Samir Carruthers' surge and Simmonds' cross – edged them ahead on aggregate. It was a finish of which Gabriel Agbonlahor would have been proud.

Martin O'Neill will have been encouraged by his team's poise and style. They benefited from Chelsea's profligacy, Jacopo Sala dragging a shot wide of the far post and Benjamin Siegrist doing well to tip Aziz Deen Conteh's attempt on to the woodwork, before Marko Mitrovic touched in the excellent Sala's centre to put Chelsea level. Victory, confirmed by Conor Clifford's long-range shot, was harsh on Villa but will have prompted relief of sorts for Arnesen. The Premier League and FA Cup will draw the focus for now but there is clearly promise to be had in this club's longer-term future.

Lampard - We Had To Dig In

Frank Lampard believes winning the Premier League this season would rank alongside the two titles Chelsea won during the Jose Mourinho era.

Chelsea head into the final game of the season on Sunday one point clear of Manchester United and knowing victory over Wigan Athletic would end a four-year wait to be crowned champions.

The Blues had been back-to-back title winners under former manager Mourinho and Lampard is hoping the team can lift the trophy in front of their own fans.

However, after losing to Wigan away from home earlier in the campaign, the free-scoring midfielder is adamant Chelsea is not going to be taking three points for granted.

"It's been a season of peaks and troughs and that will give us just as nice a feeling as the other two titles," said Lampard. "To win it with Mourinho, especially the first year, was amazing.

"But this one, with the ups and downs, the need to dig in, the low points of the season at times and the togetherness we needed, then just to be within touching distance of it is a nice feeling.

"To actually go and do it after all the ups and downs of the year will be great. We'd have taken going into the last game being top and needing to win it to win the league.

"What's happened means we won't take it for granted even now. Wigan have beaten us this season, and if you relax and think 'we're there', it can bite you on the bum."

Lampard also believes that the cockiness that was a characteristic of Mourinho's time in charge at Stamford Bridge has come to the fore again in recent weeks.

He added: "In this last bit of the season we certainly have done that. We have to believe in ourselves.

"There's a real lot of talent in this squad, a real load of ability and you have to walk out with a bit of cockiness.

"That is what the best teams have always done over the years. Maybe there have been times when we've gone back into our shells and not been together quite as much over the past couple of seasons. But we've certainly got our house in order over the past two months.

"We've got two games to win the Double - that's not bad! It will be historic, great for the club and the fans.

"These last three years we've won FA Cups and stuff, but it has been frustrating to see Manchester United dominating and that's why there's a real determination this year."