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CHELSEA FC: Cech prepares to keep Arsenal at arm's length

/noticias.info/ Chelsea head to north London for our last ever league game at Highbury Stadium knowing a win would put a massive 20 point gap between us and Arsenal.

The Gunners would still have a game-in-hand in reserve but in the 22 games remaining, a remarkable turnaround would be needed.

Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech, looking forward to Sunday’s match, refuses to accept his side could end Arsenal’s challenge there and then.

“It is still too many games to play to say if they lose it is going to be all over for them,” he insists. “But the gap is going to be very big if they lose the game so I think it might be difficult for them.

“I don’t think the title race is over,” he says, broadening the picture to include the other challengers. “The Christmas period is very difficult. There is a game every second or third day so it is not easy to play. But I think on Sunday evening we will be in a good position to attack Christmas however the game finishes.”

If the result is an away win then it will end a barren run without a league victory at Highbury that stretches back to 1990. However Chelsea are six games undefeated against Arsenal in all competitions and have already won two encounters this campaign.

On his one and only visit to Highbury so far, Cech was part of a Chelsea team that recorded a 2-2 draw last season, John Terry and Eidur Gudjohnsen cancelling out two Thierry Henry goals.

“You can say if a draw there is a good result or not only after the game,” Cech decides, “because sometimes you are running behind and you equalise in the last second. After that you can say of course that the draw is a good result.

“But it can be the opposite where you are leading the whole game and in the last few seconds it is a draw and you are not happy. So we will see Sunday evening.”

Chelsea’s chances of winning will be mightily enhanced if the team achieves a seventh clean sheet-in-a-row, Carlo Cudicini last weekend adding to Cech’s previous five.

“It is always pleasing for the goalkeeper when you are not conceding goals. It makes confidence for the team and last season was the same. We didn’t concede goals and we felt really great and confident for the games.

“Arsenal play at home, it is a big London derby and that is going to be motivation for them. They need a victory because the gap is quite large. It is going to be a bit difficult.”

Arsenal are reporting Jose Antonio Reyes as a fitness doubt with a thigh injury but Dennis Bergkamp should return after a hamstring problem. Defenders Ashley Cole, Gael Clichy and Pascal Cygan are all out injured. Brazilian World Cup-winning midfielder Gilberto is suspended.


by Paul Mason notas_de_prensa_archivo