Mikel: top four still Chelsea’s target

MIKEL OBI has said Chelsea are fired up to finish in the top four in the EPL even though they are in the final of the Champions League.

Chelsea will play in next season’s Champions League if they beat Bayern Munich on May 19 to win the competition or as one of the top four clubs in the English league this term.

Nigeria star Mikel has now told MTNFootball.com that the London club are still determined to place in the top four bracket and so will give everything to beat close rivals Newcastle United in continuation of the EPL today.

Last season’s runners-up Chelsea are in sixth place on 61 points from 35 matches, a point behind fifth-placed Newcastle and Tottenham Hotspur with three matches left of the season.

‘The Blues’ could catapult to third position with a win at Stamford Bridge.

“Our target is still to finish within the top four,” Mikel told MTNFootball.com

“To reach the final of the Champions League was great and we are looking forward to winning, it but we are not joking with the league either.

“The last two weeks or so have been tough and important to us and so far we have been able to achieve some of our objectives.

“Personally, we have never finished out of top four since I came here (to Chelsea) and so we still wish to stay within that placing.”

He continued: “We are therefore taking the game against Newcastle very seriously. It is very crucial we win this game in our quest to finish top four.

“They are ahead of us now, so we really need to win to take us closer to the top four. We will remain focused in all our remaining games.”