Gary Cahill issues Chelsea rallying cry ahead of Man City showdown

Gary Cahill has challenged Chelsea to demonstrate their title credentials by getting their Premier League bid back on track by beating Manchester City on Wednesday night.

The Blues suffered a surprise blow to their Premier League title hopes on Saturday when they were beaten 2-1 by Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea’s loss allowed Tottenham Hotspur to close the gap to the leaders down to seven points as the Premier League title race took a fresh twist.

Antonio Conte’s men must now dust themselves down as they prepare for their crunch showdown with Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night.

And Cahill is confident that the Blues will bounce back against Pep Guardiola’s men on Wednesday.

Speaking to Chelsea’s website after Saturday’s defeat, Cahill said: “I think we played OK (against Palace). It wasn’t the best we’ve played, but we’ve played worse than that this season.

“If you look at the chances created and the amount of possession we had we did OK, but everyone knows that’s not what you need to win a game. I hate stats like that in a way, it’s about being ruthless and putting the ball in the net.

“On a different day maybe we would have won the game. We’ve put ourselves in a healthy position in the league and the gap is still there.”

Chelsea are still the heavy favourites to win the Premier League title this season after their brilliant form under Conte.

The Blues are also through to the semi-finals of the FA Cup, where they will face Tottenham Hotspur.