Top four finish will be a battle, admits Chelsea boss Benitez

24-Feb-2013 11:56:00 PM

The Blues' push for second place took a serious blow in their 2-0 defeat to Manchester City but the Spanish manager says that his side will fight until the end of the season

Chelsea interim manager Rafael Benitez has acknowledged that his side are going to have to battle until the end if they are to finish in the top four this season and qualify for the Champions League.

Benitez had hoped to push Manchester City for second place but the Blues now find themselves looking over their shoulders after they were beaten 2-0 by Roberto Mancini's team.

Tottenham could leapfrog Chelsea into third by beating West Ham on Monday night and Arsenal trail Benitez's team by only two points.

"I said before the game, [if we win] it will still be a battle to the end," Benitez told Sky Sports. "Not winning is exactly the same situation. We have to carry on until the end."

Goals from Yaya Toure and Carlos Tevez sealed Chelsea's defeat after Joe Hart saved a Frank Lampard penalty, denying the midfielder his 200th goal for the Stamford Bridge club.

Benitez admitted that the penalty save in the 50th minute was a turning point despite his team's unspectacular performance until that point.

"The penalty is a crucial moment, we did not do as well as we were expecting but the penalty could have changed everything," he reflected.

"It was a good penalty and a good save. 10 minutes later, they score. Then we have to take a risk and it is clear they are a good team."

Inside Goal.Com

Arsenal should build on CL qualification
Arsenal were ecstatic last night after securing fourth place once again. Brendon Netto discusses why it's time Arsenal build on this platform and finally move forward..
Player Ratings: West Brom 5-5 Man Utd
Sir Alex Ferguson was given a farewell to remember, but certainly not for the right reasons as the Romelu Lukaku-led hosts battled back from three goals down to earn an unlikely point
Goal Special: FPAI Best Coach nominees
As the Football Players' Association of India (FPAI) awards ceremony is all set to take place on 23rd May, Goal discusses why these 5 coaches deserved to be nominated...
Transfer Talk: Read all the gossips
The Goal.com Rumour Mill is your 24/7 source for all the latest rumblings in the global transfer market.
Who is the greatest CL striker ever?
Enter our competition now and you will be in with a chance of winning one of four replica football shirts. Simply pick your favourite and subscribe to our YouTube channel