'Florent Malouda's displays deserve much more respect'

Take that: in-form Chelsea striker Florent Malouda scores late in the club's 3-0 victory against West Ham last month
11 April 2012

As Chelsea have whittled away at Manchester United's lead at the top of the Premier League, one forward has come to the fore.

It has not been Didier Drogba - who netted 29 times last season - nor Fernando Torres, who has only scored once since arriving for a record £50million from Liverpool.

Frenchman Florent Malouda has been on target three times in the last three games and has now overtaken Drogba (11) as the club's leading scorer in the League with 13.

Not bad for a player many believed would be on his way at the end of the season following Torres's arrival.

Chelsea - and Drogba, Malouda and Salomon Kalou especially - still seem to be at their best in the trusted 4-3-3 formation. This will ensure that Carlo Ancelotti leaves Torres on the bench again with Malouda lining up with Drogba and either Kalou or Nicolas Anelka - 16 goals in all competitions this season - in attack at Old Trafford on Sunday against Manchester United.

The Ivory Coast striker is delighted to see the form his team-mate is now in and believes he should earn more credit for his performances since the turn of the year.

"The most important thing is scoring goals in crucial games, at crucial moments, and Florent is now our League top scorer," said Drogba.

"I think he has a lot of critics but it is not deserved. People should show a bit more respect for what he has been achieving here."

But for the woodwork, which he has struck eight times this campaign, Drogba could have had more goals.

He hit the bar with a free-kick against Spurs last weekend and added: "At least I tried to score and maybe I need to change something and take less risks and maybe secure goals.

"But what can I do when the keeper saves it and puts it onto the bar, there is nothing you can do. It is frustrating when you strike it that well and it happened last year against Portsmouth in the FA Cup Final. This year I think in a few games also I was a bit unlucky but that is football, I can't complain."

As good as Chelsea's form has been over the past two months - they have taken 25 out of a possible 27 points and Ancelotti has been named Barclays manager of the month for both March and April - they have still tasted defeat twice at the hands of Sunday's opponents United.

They came in the Champions League and Chelsea still face the same problem as they did last month, namely how to beat United on their own soil.

They have done it many times in the past, including 13 months ago in what was a key triumph on the way to their fourth championship, but Old Trafford has been the foundation on which Sir Alex Ferguson has built his assault on major silverware this term.

His side have dropped just two points in the League at home all season and, worryingly for Chelsea's defenders, have failed to score only once at home in all competitions this term, which has also helped them reached the Champions League Final.

These are statistics to scare any opponent let alone one who has a demoralising defeat still fresh in the memory.

However, from Chelsea's greatest disappointment comes their greatest hope, for keeper Petr Cech claims his team learned some vital lessons from their European exit.

He said: "We know what it takes to go to Old Trafford and how difficult it is going to be. We had two games in the Champions League which they won but we want to do better this time.

"When we played the Champions League games they made us pay because we allowed them to counter-attack. We can't give them that chance.They are dangerous and have the quality players who can finish but, in the Champions League, the goal at Stamford Bridge and the first one at Old Trafford we didn't defend well. It was just a one-two, a ball behind the defence and a cut back. We know we could have done better.

"In the second match we had a very good start in the first half-hour before their first goal. We played well, had a lot of shots on goal and created half-chances. When they scored and we went down to 10 men it was difficult but I think that this game is going to be different. We know we have to win and that will make the difference because they don't have to chase the game."

With Ancelotti expected to leave out Torres in favour of starting Drogba as the leading man of the front three, it appears the Italian has also realised where he went wrong last time out.

The memory of last month's loss is not the only thing spurring the players on, for keeping the right to call themselves 'champions' is also close to the their heart. Midfielder Frank Lampard is still haunted by seeing United take the League trophy back in 2007 after Chelsea won it the two previous seasons.

He added: "When you've got it you don't want to let it go. It's a horrible feeling. We had that a few years ago when we were champions for two years and lost it.

"When you hear the fans singing 'champions' before the game and during it, it's massive and it does lift you. You always have a down period during the season like we did but when you hear the fans sing it you realise what you have done and what you have got to live up to.

"We always believed we still had a chance and we have shown a lot of spirit in the last six weeks.
The two Manchester United games were disappointing but we have fought our way back in the title race. I have a feeling if we win all our games we will win the League this year."

That may seem like stating the obvious at this late stage but, after facing the prospect of this season being remembered as a failure, a glorious triumph is within their grasp.

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