Branislav Ivanovic: Chelsea strong enough to win Premier League title
Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic says the current Blues crop have the quality needed to win the Premier League title
Branislav Ivanovic believes Chelsea have a strong enough squad to challenge for the Premier League title this season.
Jose Mourinho’s men were 2-1 winners against rivals Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on Sunday after Fernando Torres struck a late winner to seal all three points and help the west London side leapfrog Liverpool into second place.
Ivanovic was part of Chelsea’s last title-winning squad in 2010, and the Serbian believes their victory over the Citizens could give them a vital boost in their pursuit of the top-flight crown.
“When you change the squad and change a lot of players, you need time for the team to grow up and to become good,” Ivanovic told the London Evening Standard.
“We have a different team now to the one that won the league in 2010, but maybe we have the same quality and performances to win the league this season.
“We have a strong enough squad, if we stay at this level to be competitive.
“To be champions and stay at the top all season, it is very important to get maximum points from every game. Sometimes it may be only a point but we have to get something from every game, especially when we are at home. We’re doing that well this season.
“The champions aren’t decided now, but it was so important for us to beat Manchester City because these kind of games give you confidence and extra points when you are fighting for them. I hope it’s going to help our confidence and in the next games as well.
“It was also crucial as we lost a lot of games against Manchester City last season. It was very important for us (to change that) and we were very motivated.
“It’s a great result for us, we are believing in what we’re doing at the moment and hope to play better and better. To be honest we made some mistakes, but it is normal in this kind of game.
“We have to be focused on the table but also each game because the next one is so difficult [away at Newcastle]. We haven’t played well there in the last two years so it’s going to be a great challenge for us.”
