Carlo Ancelotti: Title race is not over
Carlo Ancelotti the manager of Chelsea is refusing to throw in the towel, and believes that his team is still firmly in the title race. Chelsea won its game on the weekend against West Ham by 3-0, and now trails Manchester United in 2nd place
by 6 points with four games to play. Ancelotti believes that United can slip up in the final games of the season, which will allow his team to make headway for a remarkable title comeback. Chelsea will play Manchester United before the season is over, and
they can bank on Arsenal to take points away from the Red Devils who play them next weekend.
The Italian is taking inspiration from a downfall of one of his own team from the past. He was in charge of Juventus back in 2000, when they led the Italian league with 5 points and had three games to play. In dramatic turn of events they slipped up and
on the final day Lazio managed to win the Serie-A title.
But if Chelsea somehow manage to pull it off, it will be even more sensational as they had been ruled of the title race by the turn of the year. Chelsea had been trailing Manchester United by 15 points at one stage, and it could have been 18 when they trailed
the League leaders 1-0 at home. However it was that particular game that turned it around for the Blues, and since then they have put together a string of wins that has seen them overtake Arsenal for the 2nd place.
Manchester United did have a dip in form following the defeat by Chelsea, as they followed it up with a loss to Liverpool. But still they managed to lift themselves and are still 6 points clear at the top.
The next two games for Manchester United may in the end determine where the title is heading. Manchester United will play Arsenal next and Chelsea the week after, and Ancelotti is pinning his hopes on those two games.
He said: “I lost a title nine points up with eight games to go. It can happen.
“It’s not a nice feeling.
“It was very difficult to think two months ago that we could stay with the lead so for this reason, at this moment, we are happy.”
Manchester United is the only team out of the top three, which is competing in UEFA Champions League. They play Schalke in midweek for the first leg of Semi final of the competition, and extra work load for league leaders may play into the hands of Chelsea.
The only realistic chance of Chelsea winning the league is that they win all their games including the one against United, and hope that Arsenal can beat the Red Devils. Even then the two teams will be level on points, given that United win the other two
games. Goal difference may turn out to be crucial if both teams do end up on same amount of points.
Last season Manchester United lost out on the title by just two points, and couple of slip up in the end cost them dearly. This time though Sir Alex Ferguson’s team is unlikely to repeat the same mistakes, and look determined to wrap up their 19th
league title.