Chelsea FC will have to save the champagne for later after their seemingly inevitable progress towards the Premier League title was hampered by a goalless draw away to Arsenal on Sunday.
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Had they beaten their London rivals at the Emirates Stadium, Jose Mourinho’s men would have travelled to Leicester City on Wednesday knowing that victory over the resurgent Foxes would have been enough to secure Chelsea’s first English title since 2010.
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However, a win on Wednesday will set Chelsea up to take the Premier League trophy in front of their own fans should they also beat Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge next weekend.
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Sunday’s fiery clash ended with Arsenal going level on points with second-placed Manchester City, with both clubs 10 points adrift of Chelsea, who like the Gunners have five league matches left to play this season.
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The way in which Chelsea captain John Terry celebrated the result suggested the Blues – whose side featured former Arsenal star Cesc Fabregas – had gained far more than a point.
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“It’s a big step to where we want to go,” Blues skipper Terry told Sky Sports.
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“It’s not done mathematically, but it’s a big step and the big thing today was not to let Arsenal gain points,” added the veteran centre-back, who on Sunday was named in the English Professional Footballers’ Association Premier League team of the year.
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