Cech knows the Blues' current five-match winless streak in the Premier League is statistically the worst since he joined the club. But the Czech Republic goalkeeper claims the champions' results are completely out of keeping with their performances, unlike those that led to Scolari's sacking as manager almost two years ago. Asked if the slump was the biggest of his six-and-a-half-year Chelsea career, Cech said: "In terms of results, yes, but not in terms of performance. "There were games where we deserved to win: Newcastle, Birmingham. We were only unlucky with the results. "There was a period, obviously, before Scolari left that it was much worse." Chelsea blew the chance to end their miserable run when Didier Drogba fluffed a stoppage-time penalty in Sunday's 1-1 draw at Tottenham, which would have sent his side back to the top of the table. Despite the outcome, the Blues were far more impressive than in recent weeks, prompting Cech to hail the result as a "big turning point" in the club's stuttering season. And the 28-year-old acknowledges Sunday's crunch clash with Manchester United and the following week's match at Arsenal will be even more important, with Chelsea now fourth in the table. "They are head-to-head games which - if they are played in the right way for us - the table can change again," said Cech, warning the Blues will never stop fighting to retain their title. "We've been doing so all the period we didn't get results." And they have also been ignoring their critics, according to the club's long-serving keeper. "We don't have to listen to those people," said Cech, who insists Chelsea are not motivated to prove the naysayers wrong. "Defending the title is motivation itself; you don't have to be reminded what we are playing for." He added: "You can see there is the top seven, eight teams, all fighting. "One result goes your way and you're fifth; one result goes a bad way and you can be eighth. "The same for the top of the table. "The team who will have the most consistency will win the title race." Cech feels Chelsea stepped up a gear yesterday from their recent performances, saying: "This time, you could see that we had better composure. "Tactically, we were well placed to be in control and we managed to open them up." For all their second-half dominance, Drogba's penalty miss ensured another match without a win for under-pressure boss Carlo Ancelotti. Despite that disappointment, Cech insists there was a largely upbeat post-mortem in the dressing room afterwards. "It was kind of a mixture of feelings because, obviously, when you have a chance to win a game in the last minute and then you miss the chance, it's a pity," he said. "But, overall, we are all very positive and we can be pleased with what we've done." Chelsea's cause will be aided by the return of Frank Lampard, who was a surprise selection among their substitutes yesterday after three-and-a-half months out injured. Cech said: "You need every great player to be fit and playing, especially when you have tough games coming up. "You can't play always with the same team so when you have your injured players coming back, it's always a boost. "If you have a midfielder scoring 20 goals a season, you always miss that. "We did really well at the beginning of his injury - we kept scoring goals. "For the last few weeks, that was not the case. "That's why it's good to have him back."
