Mikel targets title push

John Obi Mikel has revealed how Chelsea's joy at their greatest ever season was tainted by the "hurt" of finishing so far off the pace in the Barclays Premier League.

And the Blues midfielder declared he and his team-mates were determined to slash the 25-point gap to Manchester City and Manchester United in one fell swoop this term and mount a genuine title challenge.

Chelsea secured an amazing Champions League and FA Cup double last season but finished sixth in the Premier League, and Mikel said: "It hurts us that it was such a big gap last season. We spoke about it. We don't want that to repeat itself."

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