“Obviously, it’s going to be difficult” – Petr Cech explains ‘meltdown’ that could still help Chelsea win Premier League
Chelsea legend Petr Cech still believes the Blues have a slight chance in the Premier League title race.
Manchester City and Liverpool are the two leading sides battling for the Premier League title with City currently leading the Reds by one point, with seven games remaining
But Cech believes Chelsea are not out of the equation just yet. He notes how difficult it will be, but thinks a meltdown by both Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola's sides could see the west London team enter the equation.
Cech wrote on his column (via Mirror):
"Unfortunately, we have a points deficit in the league table, so, obviously it’s going to be difficult to think about the title because it’s completely out of our hands. We will need to rely on Liverpool and City to have a meltdown."
Chelsea are currently trailing league leaders Manchester City by 11 points. They do have a game in hand over both City and Liverpool.
But if Thomas Tuchel's side were to win the Premier League, it would likely be the biggest accomplishment in the league's history, given how close we are to the end of the season.
🗣 "We will never give up, never, never, never until the race is over. We are in the middle of the race."
Thomas Tuchel refuses to count Chelsea out of the title race after they find themselves 13 points adrift of leaders Man City https://t.co/kC1Ly6BOUS
Petr Cech on Chelsea vs Crystal Palace in the FA Cup semi-final
The Blues are still vying for more trophy success having won the FIFA Club World Cup back in February.
They face a Crystal Palace side who have been the Premier League's surprise package this season, with Patrick Vieira overseeing an impressive run of form.
Cech believes Sunday's encounter with the Eagles will be difficult but that Chelsea's experience in the competition may pay dividends.
"It’s definitely not an easy game because for them, it’s a historical moment, so they will obviously go there and try to make the most of it and their fans will surely enjoy it. So, we need to be prepared and we’ve played on many, many occasions at Wembley, and many FA Cup semi-finals overall. So, we know what it takes and hopefully we can reach another final."
One man they will be without is on-loan Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher whose loan deal means he is unable to play the semi-final against his former club.
Tuchel has commented on the Englishman's future.
"I believe that Conor can be a part of our squad and can play a role with us but I'm not the only one to decide. We need to speak after the season with everybody and we need to see what Conor wants."
#CFC
Thomas Tuchel on Gallagher’s future: “I believe that Conor can be a part of our squad and can play a role with us but I’m not the only one to decide”. 🔵 #CFC
“We need to speak after the season with everybody and we need to see what Conor wants”.
@AbsoluteChelsea https://t.co/EZQPUBQvy6
The 22-year-old has been in fine form this season, having scored eight goals and contributed five assists in 32 appearances across all competitions.
His absence will be a huge setback for Vieira, whose success this season can be accredited to the form of the Epsom-born midfielder.