Chelsea’s Florent Malouda has predicted an open title race between the Blues, Manchester United, Arsenal and Manchester City. The reigning champions saw their grasp on their title defence loosen after suffering their longest winless streak in a decade, which saw them relinquish top spot and settle for fourth at the moment.
Currently three points behind leaders United, who still have a game in hand, Malouda has bemoaned his side’s abysmal form of late and admits it will be tight at the top come the end of the season. “It is an open race. We were on top for the first part of this season and now we have dropped so many points that now we are chasing Man United, Arsenal and Man City so I think it is going to be tight until the end of the season,” the Frenchman told Chelsea’s official website.
“We have the experience of last year when we ended up winning the league with one point ahead and at this period of the year we not so far ahead. “I think it is going to be open because there are more teams involved in the race so I think it is going to be interesting to the end.” Giving his take on the season behind the Blues’ slump, the 30-year-old pointed his finger to the back, where they have conceded seven goals in the last five matches and kept just one clean sheet in 11.
“When you look at the records we kept a lot of clean sheets at the beginning of the season and now we are conceding goals. “I don’t think in the last six or seven games we have a good defensive record. “We have one of the most prolific attacks in the league, our main strength was our defence in the first part of the season and I think the reason why we drop is because we are not defending so well.”
Brushing aside World Cup fatigue as a reason for the slump at Stamford Bridge, Malouda believes it is the increased competition in the Barclays Premier League that the Blues have been struggling to cope with. “I think the other teams in the league improve every year and try to challenge the top teams and try to get into the top four,” said the 30-year-old from French Guyana. “Some teams get the results of their efforts and that is normal when you have more competition.
“We know that the league is the most difficult in the world and there is more competition this year but that doesn’t mean the same team won’t be on the top at the end. “It is more difficult for the players who play the international games but we are used to that and that is the reason why we come to the top clubs, to play for national sides.”
Chelsea will look to get their title challenge back on track when they play Arsenal at the Emirates next Monday.
