Mata urges Chelsea to attack

Juan Mata has urged his Chelsea team-mates to draw inspiration from Arsenal and book their spot in the last eight of the Champions League.

The Gunners came agonisingly close to overturning a four-goal deficit against AC Milan last week, and Spaniard wants his side to attack Napoli from the first minute of their second leg as they look to recover from a two-goal deficit.

The Blues are 3-1 down following a disastrous first-leg in Naples, but since Roberto Di Matteo replaced Andre Villas-Boas, the Stamford Bridge side have recorded back-to-back wins.

And Mata, who scored the Blues’ away goal in that defeat in Italy, is bullish about his side’s chances.

“In football, nothing is impossible” Mata said. “It’s a final for us and I think we can do it.”

“From the first minute, we have to try to create chances to score.”

“We know that they have very, very good strikers. We have to be careful with them but we are going to press them from the first minute.”

Chelsea have a 100 percent home record in Europe this season, and are yet to concede a goal at Stamford Bridge, something the 23-year-old playmaker is drawing confidence from.

“At Stamford Bridge, this Champions League, we had good results in the group – 3-0, 2-0 and 5-0,” he said.

“All the supporters, for sure, will be cheering us.”

Following their 1-0 victory over Stoke City yesterday, Di Matteo’s men have climbed back into the Premier League top four, and Mata believes the side are gradually coming back into form.

“It wasn’t easy, it wasn’t easy, because you know we had a change, a big, big change,” Mata said.

“But I believe the team is still believing, is still working very good and the two wins, for sure, bring to us a lot of confidence.”