Cahill eager to get Chelsea title party started

DEFENDER Gary Cahill admits there was a party atmosphere at Chelsea this week with the Premier League leaders 90 minutes away from clinching a second title in three years.

A “buzzing” Chelsea head to The Hawthorns to face West Bromwich Albion tonight (at 2am Cambodian time) knowing victory will deliver the championship in coach Antonio Conte’s first season in charge.

The fiercely demanding Italian has revived the fortunes of a side who ended last season 10th and is expected to be rewarded with an improved contract and assurances about the club’s spending plans during the coming transfer window.

But the immediate priority is to deliver the Premier League trophy, and Tottenham Hotspur’s defeat at West Ham United last week together with Chelsea’s defeat of Middlesbrough on Monday significantly eased the pressure during the run-in.

Should Conte’s side beat a West Brom team with little to play for they will become champions with two games to go.

“It’s one more to go. We have two home games and one away so we’re in a very good position now,” England centre-back Cahill (pictured, AFP) told t he club’s website.

“If anything, we should be enjoying oying it. After the Tottenham ham result, naturally y spirits were high in training raining and everybody dy was buzzing.

“EveryoneEveryone went out and enjoyed themselves, mselves, and there re was a little bit of pressure off, although that t can sometimes es be bad when en you relax and d don’t do the right ht things.”

Cahill, ahill, 31, insisted ed that there was s no com- placency: “It’s going to be a tough game at West Brom, it always is. “It’s never comfortable and we need to be aware of that, but we’re looking forward to getting the job done.” Jose Mourinho was in charge two years ago and Cahill, whose form has i m p r o v e d m a r k - edly under Conte, says the exper ience of becoming champions then has helped.

“It was probably more comfortable last time but the runin is always the same – there is always a stages in the season when it’s goingg to be tight, when teams are putting pressure on and you’re having to win.

“That’s helpedhe us this time, having the experiencee of that. We’re in a greatg position now and if we were to throw it away we’d beb devastated.”

West Brom will take on the champions-electchampions with their spirits boostedboos by a 2-2 draw at Burnley whichw ended their four-match losing run and saw SalomonSalomo Rondon end his 19-game goalgo drought.