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Scolari: Defeat will not send rivals out of title race

29/11/2008

Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari insists that Arsenal will not be out of the title race even if his side beat them at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

The Brazilian expects a tough game despite Arsenal's current run of form in the league and claims that they cannot be discounted as title contenders this early in the season.

Victory for the Blues would put them 13 points ahead of the Gunners but Scolari points to the gap that Chelsea closed on Manchester United last season as an indicator that a side can get themselves back in it after Christmas.

He said: "Last season Chelsea were nine points behind United at the halfway point and even if you're 15 points clear with five games to go, you're not champions.

"You're only champions at the end of the last game."

Scolari says he is looking forward to facing off against Gunners boss Arsene Wenger and thinks the match will provide as much entertainment as the fixture between the Gunners and United did at the start of November.

Speaking about Wenger Scolari said: "His team plays football, so it's difficult to win. They play beautiful football and in these games they play better than other games.

"I watched their game against Manchester United and it was one of the best games in the Premier League. This game against Chelsea will be like that as well."

Scolari admits the match against Arsenal is a marquee fixture but he had also told his team that they must go into other matches with the same attitude if they are to win the title at the end of the season.

He added: "This is one of the big games but we are not motivated just for a game against Arsenal or Tottenham. We need to play every game with the same motivation. We need to try to win."