Title will go down to the wire — Drogba

Didier Drogba has called on Chelsea to start a new season in the New Year while he predicts that the title race will go down to the wire.

Jose Mourinho’s side led the table by nine points last month and seemed set to run away with the Premier League.

But only one win in their last four away games has seen Manchester City close the gap to three points. And the margin would have been down to one without Burnley’s stunning comeback at the Etihad Stadium.

Chelsea start the second half of the season in another London derby at Tottenham on New Year’s Day.

And Drogba, a veteran of two title victories under Mourinho and again under Carlo Ancelotti, has insisted the job of winning the first title in five years is not even half done.

“I think it’s going to be tough,” said the Blues legend. “Even when people were saying differently a few weeks ago, we knew it was not over.

"A few years ago I think we were 11 or 12 points in front of Man United and then they won the league.

“So eight points or nine points - I don’t know how many points we had on top of Man City - I think it is not enough. It was too early at that time of the season.

"But I think now we start again a new championship. I think the game is on. I think it will go all the way till the end.”