Mata hoping Drogba extends Chelsea stay

Drogba bagged a brace during Tuesday night’s 3-0 win over Valencia, securing top spot in Group E and qualification for the knockout stage of the Champions League.

Speculation has suggested that the Blues could be looking to move the powerful front-man on in January, with the 33-year-old reluctant to sign a new deal.

And with his contract set to expire at the end of the season, Anzhi Makhachkala and former club Marseille have been linked with his signature.

However, Mata is hoping a deal can be struck between both the player and the club, telling the Evening Standard: "Didier is a super striker.

"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. 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.

"

Meanwhile, the Spaniard is hoping the Blues can claw their way back into the title race after a dip in form.

With qualification for the last 16 of the competition now guaranteed, focus now switches back to the Premier League and a mouth-watering encounter between the West London side and current leaders Manchester City.

"It's not impossible for us to still win the title,” the former Valencia star added.

"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."

ByBen McAleer

Nick Moore

Nick Moore is a freelance journalist based on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. He wrote his first FourFourTwo feature in 2001 about Gerard Houllier's cup-treble-winning Liverpool side, and has continued to ink his witty words for the mag ever since. Nick has produced FFT's 'Ask A Silly Question' interview for 16 years, once getting Peter Crouch to confess that he dreams about being a dwarf.