Chelsea can catch Liverpool in 2009, says defiant Scolari

Luiz Felipe Scolari insisted the English Premier League title race was still open as his Chelsea side went into 2009 three points behind leaders Liverpool.

The Blues topped the table at the end of November but have faltered since, with Liverpool taking full advantage.

Only once in the last four seasons has a team that led the Premier League at Christmas failed to win the title, but Scolari is adamant the battle is far from over.

“The championship is not finished,” he said. “It will be finished in the last two or three games. It is normal in England. The Premier League is difficult.

“We are in a good position. We need to win our games.”

Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon has said the Blues will not be buying any new players during the January transfer window and Scolari said he would not be arguing to bring in new faces.

“If my boss says we don't have any transfers, I say yes because I have good players, a good squad. No problem for me,” explained the former Brazil manager

Chelsea finished the year on a flat note after being held to a 2-2 draw away to Fulham with Clint Dempsey scoring a last-gasp equaliser for the Craven Cottage side on Sunday.

After hitting the opener in the 10th minute, the United States midfielder headed in his second goal of the game in the 89th minute to cancel out two Frank Lampard strikes.

Dempsey put the Cottagers ahead after a free-kick eluded Chelsea's defenders in the penalty box.

Lampard, captaining Chelsea in the absence of suspended skipper John Terry, levelled in the 50th minute following a Fulham defensive mix-up and the England midfielder scored what looked to be a winning free-kick 18 minutes from time.

“We lost two points,” Scolari said. “We made two mistakes with our marking and conceded two goals. I think they had one more chance; we had 10 chances and scored two goals.

“We have been very good with corner-kicks and free-kicks this season. Before the game every player knows who to mark. It is my job now to look and see what happened.

“After the first goal we tried to make sure it didn't happen again but we made another mistake. One player was free in the middle of the area in the last minute. It is incredible.”

Chelsea won 2-1 at Fulham on January 1 in Roy Hodgson's first game as their manager.

Since then he has transformed them from relegation near-certainties into a mid-table side.

They are now on a nine-game unbeaten streak in the league — a run matched only by Liverpool.

“That's got to be something very satisfying as we go into the New Year,” said the former Switzerland, Finland and Inter Milan boss whose team are ninth.

“It's been a marvellous 12 months, I've really enjoyed it, it's been one of the better, if not one of very best, years of my quite long career,” added Hodgson, who oversaw a run of three straight victories at the end of last season which narrowly kept Fulham in the top flight.

“To kick on from there and do so well at the start of this season, that's a great satisfaction for me,” said Hodgson.

“I couldn't ask for a better scenario. All I can wish for in my New Year's wish list is that things will continue in the same vein in 2009.”