Didier Drogba desperate to shoot down Liverpool after misery of defeat last season

Must win game: Didier Drogba says Chelsea need to beat Liverpool
11 April 2012

Didier Drogba today admitted Chelsea cannot afford to drop any more points at this stage of season and insisted it's vital they beat title rivals Liverpool on Sunday.

Chelsea were made favourites to win the Premier League after they won their first six games but the manner of the club's 3-1 defeat at Wigan last weekend has halted their momentum and allowed Manchester United to reclaim top spot.

Liverpool have also climbed into contention once more after bouncing back from losing two of their first three games to win the last four. Rafael Benitez's side will not be daunted by playing at Stamford Bridge, having beaten Chelsea in the same fixture last season.

Drogba is well aware of the threat Liverpool pose to his dreams of lifting the League trophy again and believes Chelsea need to go on another long winning streak of their own.

He said: "Games against Liverpool are always big but this one is vital for us.

"We need to win it, we can't afford to lose more points because they are coming back strong after a difficult start to the season.

"We need to show that what happened against Wigan was an accident. We need to keep winning especially at home if we want to win the title."

It was 12 months ago that Liverpool became the first side in more than four years and in 87 matches to beat Chelsea at home but the Ivory Coast international missed the game because he was injured.

The 31-year-old reveals seeing Liverpool win from the stands was one of the biggest disappointments of his Chelsea career.

Speaking to the Evening Standard as an ambassador to promote the NBA's Take To The Courts event at Clapham Common this weekend, he added: "I was sad to see the team lose the unbeaten record because I had played a part in it and I couldn't be there on the pitch.

"It was great for us to know that we hadn't lost at home for so long so it was hard for us when we lost it.

"But that was last year and this season is going to be different. Our approach this season is different and our fitness and condition is different so I hope that will make the difference and we win the game."

Liverpool's Fabio Aurelio has warned his team-mates there can be no dwelling on the past as they seek to make up for their defeat in Florence on Tuesday.

The Reds head to Stamford Bridge knowing they cannot afford a repeat of their limp display in the 2-0 defeat by Fiorentina in the Champions League.

The Brazilian defender said: "We would have hoped for a better result against Fiorentina but we can't think about that now, we must think about the future.

"Football is like this. You cannot think in the past, you must always look to the future.

"Hopefully it will be a different game and we can go there and get a result."

Benitez is at least expecting Javier Mascherano to return to the side after he missed the trip to Italy with a slight hamstring problem.

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