Lampard happy to be back in title race

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard is delighted to see his side in the Premier League title hunt late in the campaign.

Jose Mourinho’s men are title favourites despite a 1-0 loss at Aston Villa last time out in the league, with Chelsea four points clear at the top.

Lampard, 35, is pleased to see his side, who last won the league in 2009/10, back fighting for top spot instead of battling for a European place.

“For me, it’s very simple – worry about yourselves, look after your own game,” he said.

“If we do that in as many games as possible between now and the end of the season, we’ll give ourselves a great chance.

“I’m confident we can do it. We’ve had two or three years of being off the pace now, and coming up short in terms of our league position, and it’s great to be back in the race.

“That desire to keep winning because you are fighting for the title, rather than fourth place, feels good.”

Chelsea have a huge test to bounce back to winning ways in the league, with their next encounter a derby meeting with Arsenal on Saturday.

Arsene Wenger’s men are four points off top spot in third, and Lampard is unsurprised by how well Chelsea’s London rivals have gone this season.

But Lampard believes his team have the mentality needed to win a fifth Premier League title.

“It’s a big test, a big game considering we lost our last Premier League game at Villa,” he said.

“Have Arsenal surprised me this season? Yes and no. To be fair, they are always in the top four and Champions League every year.

“I know they have been slightly off the pace in certain years, but I think they have improved and I have a lot of respect for Arsenal.

“It’s a matter of the team being focused and driven, every week, and that means the staff, the management and every individual in the squad being on their game.

“I think we have got that mentality, but we’ve got to show it.”