Chelsea defender Gary Cahill feels their Champions League exit has helped them to prepare better for their league games.

The Blues were knocked out in the last 16 stage of the competition at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain but their league form since then has remained strong.




Chelsea are the overwhelming favourites to seal a league title win in the next few weeks and though their performances have been below par in the last few matches, they have managed to get the results they need to finish the season as Premier League champions.

Cahill feels that their Champions League exit has helped them in the league as they have been able to devote more time to their preparation and fine tune their game on the training pitch.
 


“It’s made a difference, we’ve been able to work on things in training which we can’t do when we’re playing twice a week”, Cahill told the club’s official website.

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“Now we’ve seen how beneficial it is for those teams who are able to rest and prepare thoroughly for each match.”

The defender pointed out that their midweek Champions League matches made their training sessions uneven as some players were not ready to take part in them, which used to hamper their preparations for their weekend Premier League encounters. He admits that the last few weeks have been more seamless because of the lack of European football.

“When we play Champions League matches it’s hard to get everybody out on the training pitch at the same time because there are some players who have played in the game and need to rest, and then there are others in the opposite situation.

“It’s difficult, and in the last few weeks we’ve had the luxury of getting everyone working together towards a game and it’s paid off.”

Chelsea’s preparation is expected to be put to test when they take an away trip to north London to take on Arsenal later today.

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