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  Drogba can undo United, says Malouda |
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 | Reported by guardian.co.uk
on Wednesday, 4 November 2009
(2 weeks ago) |
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• Striker in great form ahead of Sunday's visit of the champions• 'Every team has to fear him' insists French team-mateFlorent Malouda believes Didier Drogba has returned "stronger than ever" from his European ban as Chelsea's attention switches from the Champions League, with qualification to the knockout phase assured, to the eagerly awaited confrontation with Manchester United on Sunday.Drogba returned from a three-game Uefa suspension to score twice in the last eight minutes at Atlético Madrid yesterday, the 2-2 draw eventually smoothing the Londoners' passage out of GroupD.
While the trip to Porto later this month retains some relevance, with the leadership of the section at stake, Carlo Ancelotti can concentrate on domestic matters with the form of his 11-goal leading scorer likely to have unnerved the champions in the build-up to the trip to Stamford Bridge."We have to win that game," Malouda said.
"We are two points in front and we want to stay in front.
It is going to be a big, big game, a massive game, and we have to play at our best level in front of our fans.
We have an impressive home record and we are trying to keep it.
And before the international break it would be a great result to win at home.
To be five points clear would be amazing - we haven't been that far clear [of United] for such a long time, so to beat them would be a great result."Having Didier in this form will help us.
He feels really good at the moment.
He has served his ban in Europe and now he is back, stronger than ever.
He is full of confidence and the fact that he enjoyed a good pre-season without any injuries is important.
He's really happy and enjoying his form, training harder than ever."The ban gave him a rest.
I knew him at Guingamp [in the French first division] and he has always been a leader, speaking in the dressing room and bringing all the team behind him.
With John Terry and Frank Lampard, he is one of our world-class players.
When he is like this, every team has to fear him."While there remains a desperation within this squad to secure the club's first European Cup, after five semi-final appearances in the Champions League in the last six seasonsthere is also motivation aplenty to regain the Premier League title last secured in 2006.
United have restored their predominance in the league in recent seasons, leaving Chelsea anxious to reassert themselves, not only in the title race but also in contests at Stamford Bridge against the other elite clubs.United left south-west London with a point last season, with Arsenal and Liverpool both winning at Chelsea where the hosts had, until recently, appeared impregnable.
"We will have to do everything we can to try and make Stamford Bridge a fortress again," said Drogba, whose side have won every fixture at the ground to date this season.
"You need character to play against United.
It will be another tough match, like a Champions League game, with more intensity.
A big game.
We need to win against one of the contenders for the title."
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