Terry - Anelka on fire

Chelsea and England captain thinks team-mate is in form of his life

By Richard Bailey   Last updated: 17th November 2008

Terry - Anelka on fire

Anelka: Amongst the goals

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Chelsea skipper John Terry believes that team-mate Nicolas Anelka is in the form of his life.

The Frenchman has scored 13 goals this season making him the leading marksman in the Premier League and ensuring Terry is a relieved man.

Anelka's impressive form has softened the blow of losing Didier Drogba for much of the season through injury and the striker was amongst the goals again as Chelsea saw off West Brom at the Hawthorns 3-0 with the 29-year-old grabbing two.

The win meant Luiz Felipe Scolari's men have now equalled Tottenham's 48-year record of ten successive away wins in the top flight and Terry is hoping Anelka can fire them to many more this season.

He said: "We soaked up a lot of pressure from West Brom early on and hit them on the counter-attack with three goals.

"Anelka has been, and is, the saviour for us at the moment with Didier having been out and only just coming back from injury.

Relishes

"For me Anelka is in the best form of his career. He is in great form and getting the goals as well. He is top scorer in the Premier League and long may it continue.

"He relishes playing down the middle. He relishes the likes of Flo (Florent Malouda) and Coley (Joe Cole) and Salomon Kalou on either side of him.

"It gives him the chance to play in between the two centre-halves and on the shoulders of them because the two opposition full-backs are getting stretched all the time by the wide men."

The Chelsea and England captain knows how hard the former Arsenal and Liverpool man can be to play against and he was pleased when the striker became his team-mate.

He added: "When we signed him I said thank God you are here because I used to hate playing against him.

"He was always playing on my shoulder, and a great finisher as well."