Michael Ballack believes that Chelsea's elimination from the Champions League triggered a late season domestic charge which could end with the London club's first ever league and cup double.
Knocked out of the last 16 of Europe's premier club competition by Inter Milan last month, having reached the final in 2008, Chelsea is now on a five-game winning run which has yielded up a four-point lead at the top of the Premier League and a place in the FA Cup final.
"To go out of the Champions League against a good opponent can always happen, and of course we have big expectations at this club," Ballack said as he prepared for a London derby against Tottenham.
"We showed in the last years we are a team that can reach the final. Going out early was a big disappointment and we sat together, spoke, rebuilt ourselves and bundled our strengths together again."
Chelsea, which last won the league under Jose Mourinho in 2006, is now 1-4 favorite to win both the league and beat Portsmouth in the FA Cup final May 15.
Among the five wins was a 2-1 victory at previous leader Manchester United and a 3-0 FA Cup semifinal triumph over Aston Villa two weeks after it thumped the same team 7-1 in the Premier League.
"It is important you don't drop your head and, if you beat a team like Man United away, it gives a lot of confidence," Ballack said. "Apart from Inter we have beaten all the big teams this year. We showed again we are still good enough and that's important for the mind.
"Of course it is a long season and it is important we have the mental strength, we are on top of the league and have a big target, a big chance to win two titles and that keeps us fresh in mind as well."
First Chelsea goes to White Hart Lane where Tottenham severely hurt the title hopes of Arsenal on Wednesday with a 2-1 victory over its north London neighbour. Arsenal is now six points behind Chelsea in third place and manager Arsene Wenger, who is without several players through injury, admits it will be very difficult for his team to win the title for the first time since 2004.
"I don't think Chelsea will drop more than six points now," he said.
Although striker Robin van Persie is fit again after five months out, Arsenal is without Cesc Fabregas, Andrey Arshavin, Thomas Vermaelen, William Gallas, Aaron Ramsay and Alex Song for their visit to relegation-threatened Wigan.
Man United's bid to become the first team to win the league title four years in a row could be virtually over if it loses at City and Chelsea wins at Spurs.
When the neighbours met in the league at Old Trafford, United won a 4-3 thriller. United also knocked City out of the League Cup in the semifinal despite losing the away leg 2-1.
United had City striker Carlos Tevez at Old Trafford before he moved on to its neighbour at the end of last season but manager Alex Ferguson says he has no regrets that the Argentina star will be facing his team again.
"There is no bitterness from me," he said. "Players leave here from time to time. Some do well, others don't. We move on.
"Carlos had a good first season with us, I must admit. In the second he didn't feature in as many games. I cannot dispute that he is having a great goalscoring season (with 22 league goals)."
City is out to hold on to fourth place which would mean playing in next season's Champions League. The team is a point ahead of Tottenham. Meanwhile, the struggle to avoid relegation alongside last place Portsmouth may take another twist.
Hull and Burnley appear to be favorites to go down, level on 27 points and with four to make up on 17th place West Ham. Hull visits ninth-place Birmingham and Burnley goes to Sunderland, which is virtually safe in 13th place and 38 points.
West Ham has a tough game at Liverpool. Other games are Blackburn-Everton, Fulham-Wolves and Stoke-Bolton. Although sure to go down, Portsmouth still has an FA Cup final against Chelsea to look forward to and hosts Aston Villa in the league this weekend.
