Reality Cech is big boost for Blues

If Petr Cech has judged the omens correctly Chelsea could be on the fast track to becoming champions again by the end of the month. The goalkeeper says the title race does not begin in earnest until Sunday and the significance of his team's early-season slips is diminishing.

A trip to Arsenal with a three-point gap to make up will be their initial task but they are buoyed by the ground they have already taken and Cech is confident they know how to overtake.

After all the taunts from opposition fans about Chelsea's lack of heritage, the Czech international hopes to deliver a blast from the past to their title rivals.

"I hope history repeats itself," said Cech, after returning from a calf injury in last night's goalless draw against Valencia.

"The first year I came to Chelsea I remember going into Christmas five points behind Arsenal. Then we got a 2-2 draw against them and by the time that period was over we were five points ahead. It's a time of year when there are so many difficult games in such a short space of time, plus squads have injuries and suspensions and together it can really change things.

"If you can stay top of the league beyond Christmas I am not saying it is all done, but you are a lot closer to the title." Cech joined Chelsea in 2004 and they ended his first season as champions with 12 points more than Arsenal.

He has seen Arsene Wenger's side drop five points in the past week with key players missing while the momentum of Avram Grant's side is building.

Didier Drogba's absence due to injury could reduce the pace and a series of good chances were wasted against Valencia. He will be missed on Sunday but Cech and Paulo Ferreira returned last night and Florent Malouda is back in training.

The Champions League game against the Spaniards meant little to Chelsea as they had already won their group, but their energetic attacking left the relatively untroubled Cech confident they are in good shape.

He said: "We played quality football against Valencia and are well set up for Sunday. We have a good away record against them so will be going there in a very positive frame of mind. How Christmas goes will show how much momentum we have and the key is we have injured players coming back and will be able to rest players but keep high standards.

"It is a big opportunity on Sunday to move up the table and there is another big game for Manchester United [on Sunday against Liverpool]."

The game at Emirates Stadium will have fans comparing and contrasting as Wenger's free-flowing football meets Grant's brave new world. Grant has tried to make themmore fluid in attack and the number of times they cut open Valencia was a good sign.

The lack of goals, despite Chelsea starting with three strikers and a wideman, could be a concern, but Frank Lampard says they will flow at Arsenal. He said: "Where will the goals come from - where do you want me to start? Joe Cole, Andriy Shevchenko, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Salomon Kalou, myself. Is that enough?" Cech, returning after five weeks out last night, is more worried about points than style. He said: "For Sunday's game the most important thing is not really the way we are going to play, but the result."

How badly affected Arsenal have been by their draw at Newcastle and defeat by Middlesbrough may be seen in their morale against Steaua Bucharest tonight as they try to top their Champions League group.

Lampard believes injuries and opponents' gameplans have helped open the way for Chelsea to challenge them at the top. He said: "We will miss big players, particularly Didier, but they are potentially missing Cesc Fabregas and Aleksandr Hleb and they have been two of their best players this season.

"After bad results things can go either way - maybe they will be on the rebound or it could be a good time to play them.

"It is impossible to go through the season always playing great football and virtually impossible to go through unbeaten now. It is not tiredness, it is just that teams have upped their games against Arsenal.

"I respected what Newcastle and Middlesbrough did. Teams know that when you play Arsenal you have to try to stop them playing the football they are capable of."