CHELSEA’S CARETAKER BOSS Roberto Di Matteo believes his side are in a good position to finish in the top-four of the Premier League.
The Blues currently sit sixth on the table, just a point behind Tottenham and Newcastle United and five behind third-placed Arsenal.
Di Matteo’s men take on fellow Champions League contenders Newcastle tonight as well as, Liverpool and struggling Blackburn in their final league fixtures. They also tackle the Reds in the FA Cup final and Di Matteo believes his side are well set to finish the season strongly and claim fourth place.
“We’re hoping to finish the season successfully and as good as we can,” he told reporters. ”We have been trying to make up the distance on the clubs ahead of us and now we are in a good position to get fourth.
“From my first day in charge we have always said getting into the top four is crucial. It is credit to the players that we are so close to Spurs, Newcastle and even Arsenal while we have still managed to progress in the Champions League and FA Cup.
“We didn’t want to just throw anything away and, fortunately, we are in a position where we are still fighting on all three fronts.”
Although a top-four finish would be viewed as success for the Stamford Bridge outfit, the Chelsea boss insists it will not be not good enough for a team of Chelsea’s stature. Yet Di Matteo admits his side do not deserve to be in the title race this season.
He continued: “The table usually doesn’t lie. We have had our difficulties this season. They (Manchester United and Manchester City) have won more games and won more points. The table always reflects the truth.”
Chelsea’s Champions League final date with Bayern Munich comes just six days after their final Premier League fixture. John Terry, Raul Meireles, Ramires and Branislav Ivanovic will all miss the game at the Allianz Arena through suspension, though Di Matteo said nobody is distracted by the final.
“No one is thinking about the consequences of missing out on the Champions League,” he said. “We are thinking positively.”
