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Chelsea are still in title hunt - Mata

Juan Mata has settled into life in the Premier League quickly © Getty Images

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Chelsea winger Juan Mata says two 3-0 wins in four days have lifted spirits around Stamford Bridge and given the players the belief that they can still mount a serious Premier League title challenge this season.

Andre Villas-Boas' side beat Valencia on Tuesday night to qualify for the Champions League knockout stage as group winners, ensuring successive victories for the first time since October after last Saturday's away win at Newcastle.

Having lost five of his previous nine games before visiting St James' Park last week, it was widely thought Villas-Boas' position would be under threat, with notoriously trigger-happy owner Roman Abramovich having sacked managers for poorer runs in the past.

Villas-Boas responded angrily to such suggestions in the wake of the Valencia victory, though, slamming what he labelled media 'persecution' of the west Londoners.

Mata also admitted it was good to be able to answer the team's critics, and claimed that a tilt at the Premier League title is still a realistic goal for the Blues ahead of a huge game against current leaders Manchester City this weekend.

"It's not impossible for us to still win the title," Mata said. "There are so many weeks until the Premier League finishes and we will keep going every week to win and to be closer to first place.

"Have we answered the critics? Yes, with the win against Valencia and the last game at Newcastle. These two games have given us more confidence and we have to train this week very well to play against City. That is a very important game for us as well.

"We want to change our record in the big games this season because we lost against Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United but we hope against Manchester City we change this bad thing.

"City are having a great Premier League. They are the leaders, they win every game, but we hope here at Stamford Bridge they will have a difficult game. Is it a game we can't afford to lose? I don't know. We hope to win, that is all we are thinking about. We never think about losing."

Meanwhile, Mata hailed the impact of team-mate Didier Drogba after the Ivorian's two-goal Champions League salvo on Tuesday.

"Didier is a super striker," he said. "He is strong and fast, scores goals and makes assists. He is very important for us and against Valencia he showed it.

"I don't know what is happening [with his contract]. It is an individual decision between the club and Didier but for us it is important to have strikers like Didier, Fernando Torres and Salomon Kalou."

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