Premier League |
Nicolas Anelka insists that winning the Premier League with Chelsea this season would eclipse his triumph with Arsenal over a decade ago.
Anelka, who scored the winning goal against Porto in the Champions League on Wednesday night, admits that if he can help fire Chelsea to their first top flight title since 2005, it would be a bigger achievement than winning it with the Gunners.
Chelsea face Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday in confident mood after Anelka's 69th minute winner in the Estadio do Dragao ensured they will finish top of Group D.
Chelsea have now won by a solitary goal three times in Europe this season and on each occasion Anelka has provided the matchwinner.
Now the France international is desperate to beat his former club and extend Chelsea's lead at the top of the league summit on Sunday.
The striker wants a second Premier League medal after suffering years of frustration since helping Arsenal win the double back in 1998.
"Winning it with Chelsea will be even bigger than when I did it with Arsenal," said Anelka "That will mean I'm in one of the biggest teams in the world.
"When I won it with Arsenal I did appreciate it at the time. Sometimes you only have one chance in your life. I had this chance before and now I have a second chance to win it again.
"I have had a lot of time to wait to win something again in England.
"I won the FA Cup last season and I hope this season I will win the title. I don't know if this team are better than the Arsenal one I played in. Arsenal were strong but this Chelsea side are strong, too.
"I did it with Arsenal and I can definitely do it as well with Chelsea."
Victory at Emirates will see Chelsea open an 11-point gap over Arsene Wenger's men, but Anelka feels it still would not be enough to end Arsenal's title ambitions.
"Anything is possible in football," added Anelka. "Even if we're on top and a lot of points in front of everybody, it's possible we could make a mistake after.
"We will try to win, of course, and if do, we will focus on all the games after Arsenal because every game is important. Beating Porto means we will go to Arsenal with confidence.
"We wanted to finish first in our Champions League group. It's done and I think everyone is happy."
Although Chelsea remain unbeaten in Europe so far this season, their performances have hardly been of a sparkling nature.
Their 4-0 drubbing of Atletico Madrid at Stamford Bridge was the only time Carlo Ancelotti's side have shown their true quality.
And captain John Terry admits the best is yet to come in Europe.
"We haven't hit top gear in Europe yet," said Terry. "There is still more to come from us.
"The momentum, the way we're playing and the confidence can only take us in one direction and that's forward. We can work better and will find solutions from where we've gone wrong.
"We will regroup after the group stage and look forward to the draw, although it looks like there could be a difficult draw because there will be a number of big teams finishing second."


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Your Comments
zendenling (Chelsea fan)
"Anelka is reaching his form now. "
kree (Liverpool fan)
"I must say that Anelka has really matured since joining Chelsea . Wish he could have had the same commitment to his previous teams."
big_boy
"yes of course when tey left jenuary
the team will misse the african palyers
becouse the team its too had to play togther
withot the african players
however the team still strong not the playre how to play the manneger must change how the team plaied withou african players
"
aindro (Chelsea fan)
"Yes, this team is strong. But without our African players in january, this team will be a lot weaker. We will not be able to replace Essien. Drogba is very important as well as he scores goals so far. So Chelsea need to buy, if not Man Utd or Arsenal can snatch the title"
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