Wayne Rooney has warned his Manchester United team-mates how quickly the Premier League title race can turn ahead of their season-defining clash with Chelsea.
United have a three point lead over the champions with a game in hand going into their Stamford Bridge showdown on Sunday, a position Rooney admits is much better than he was expecting when looking to the match a month ago.
But Rooney said Chelsea's current form slump could happen to United or any other team if they drop their guard, telling his team-mates not to relent in their pursuit of trophies after a relatively barren season last term.
"The Carling Cup was it for us in terms of trophies this year and, in terms of trophies, a club like ours should be winning more," Rooney said in the Sun. "We have worked hard to put that right for next year. When you have not won them you get that hunger and desire to win them.
"Chelsea started really strongly so it was important not to get too far behind because they are a hard team to catch up. So we stayed in behind and then four weeks ago we said that if we could be just three points behind going into this game we would be happy. Now we are three points ahead of them with a game in hand. We are in a great position. But the way the tables have turned in the last month we know how quickly things can happen so we don't want to be complacent. We have to keep going and getting those results."
Chelsea won the domestic double last season as United's season petered out in conjuction with Rooney's ankle injury. He said the frustration of missing those crucial games made it the "worst time", but having now come through his headline-grabbing contract saga and regained full fitness, he's hoping he can find top form once again.
"It has been a hard few months for me and the United fans," he said. "But they have been brilliant since I signed the new deal. They can see the desire I have got to play and win. They have been fantastic for me and I thank them for that."
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