As pleased as he is with the way his opening months at Chelsea have turned out, Cesc Fabregas claims he and his team-mates still have much to prove.
The former Arsenal skipper returned to the English capital after three years with Barcelona this summer, in a deal which cost the Blues around £30million. It has taken the Spaniard little time to re-adapt his game to the demands of the Premier League, and he has already assisted 10 goals and scored once in 12 appearances to help his new club to the summit of the league table.
Indeed, the 27-year-old has also impressed in the UEFA Champions League, particularly in Germany this week when he assisted four times in the 5-0 win over Schalke which secured first place in Group G. And with Jose Mourinho’s men in the quarter-finals of the League Cup, when they take on Derby County next month, it is already shaping up to be a special season for the club.
However, Fabregas, who won an FA Cup during his previous spell in London with the Gunners, has issued a warning to his team-mates. For whilst everything points to this being a campaign to remember at Stamford Bridge for all the right reasons, the Spain international has reminded his pals that unless they deliver silverware, they cannot be remembered as a special team.
“I didn’t come here to just play well and that’s it. I came here to win trophies and if I could play well and enjoy myself, all the better,” he said. “Right now, we are doing that very well and, potentially, this team can be very good. But we have to win trophies. No-one remembers if there was a great team and you don’t win trophies. We have to win and people will judge it how they want to.”
Chelsea, who are six-points ahead of second-placed Southampton, resume their Premier League bid with a trip to Sunderland on Saturday evening. The Black Cats required a near-miracle to avoid relegation last season, and are currently just three points above the relegation zone. The Blues won the corresponding fixture last term by the odd goal in seven, but Gus Poyet’s side gained revenge in April when they recorded a shock 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge as they edged towards safety.
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