LAMPARD: STAYING STRONG

As the 2009/10 league season reaches its final act, Frank Lampard has defended the quality of this year's competition.

Should Chelsea win our match against Wigan and take the title with 86 points, we would be nine short of our Premier League record total when we were champions in 2005, but with more points by notable amounts than the 79 or 75 totals recorded by Manchester United in 1999 and 1997 or Arsenal's tally of 78 in 1998.

Carlo Ancelotti's team have been defeated six times in league games this campaign but the important statistic is they are in first place in the table with one game to play.

'This is the position we wanted to be in,' said Lampard.

'Some people have said the league has gone downhill but I don't think it has. The league has improved because the teams in the middle of the table and down the bottom have been fighting even harder and are more organised.

'It has proved more difficult for the bigger teams to win regularly week in, week out, and if we can win one more game it will be a big achievement to win it this year due to circumstances.

'To win the league you can never have it smooth and there are not many seasons when it is plain sailing all the way through,' the vice-captain added.

'You are fighting against big teams in Man United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Man City and others and there are times you have to stay strong. In the moments when we were down this season we have stayed strong.'

Lampard may have two league titles to his name but watching Man United follow those wins with three of their own has only increased his appetite for more.

'Credit to them, they deserved to win it [in recent seasons]. We are there to battle with them and we have been in touching distance.

'I was very proud of winning the league twice, particularly the first time because of all the years Chelsea had gone without it. It was a huge thing to be part of that group but if we can go and win the Double it will be right up there with that because not many clubs have done it in history.'