Are Chelsea Champions Elect?

A 1-1 draw under the ?Anfield floodlights ?in a tightly contested encounter doubling up with Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal dropping points ensured that Chelsea increased their lead to nine points to secure their place at the top of the premier league table. Chelsea after suffering humiliation against Arsenal at the Emirates in September have taken Full points of 15 of their last 17 matches.

Now, as the clock turns around for them and they prepare to face Arsenal again, they are in a position?nobody would have even imagined in their wildest dreams after that evening in September. ?As they now have their eyes shining towards the premier league trophy, it wont be a bad time to assess how close they actually are to it.

SO IS IT SAFE TO DECLARE CHELSEA CHAMPIONS ELECT?

The Lunchtime kick off on Saturday ?at Stamford Bridge Vs Arsenal will be a key detriment to the title race. Not only is it one of those important derby matches involving two of the best teams in the country, but in the context of things holds even greater value. Chelsea already have a lead that is more than any other league in Europe. A win in the premier league over Arsenal would put them in a position that would make it extremely tough to knock them off.

Its not only the position in the PL table that ?suggests their strong foothold in the league but the fixture list as well. After having completed the match vs Arsenal, Chelsea have to play two more matches against the top Six, which are games against the two Manchester sides in April. That effectively means, matches against the so called smaller sides, who, so far this season Chelsea have kept a magnificent record against. Also, unlike the other rivals except Liverpool, they do not to have worry about any European tie, the sole distraction being some FA Cup ties which won’t be that tough to manage.

But a win for Arsenal could change everything in the title race. Doubts still remain about Chelsea’s credentials in big matches and such a result could escalate those worries. It will give Gunners, one of the major teams in the chasing pack, a huge morale boost in the title race and might also leave a massive dent on the confidence in the Chelsea Dressing room.

So far, Chelsea have shown remarkable girt and mental strength. They have developed a remarkable winning habit and it seems really unlikely that it is possible for them to slip up. One thing that football and especially the premier league has taught over the years is that anything can happen in such ?a ?marathon season.

It is crucial for Chelsea to keep their feet on the ground until the title is mathematically won or else a shambolic slip can yet still happen, however impossible it might sound. Having said that, if they continue playing with the spirit they currently are, there is no reason to believe why the beautiful Premier league trophy will not return to Stamford Bridge in May.