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COLE STOKES FIRE

Chelsea’s Diego Costa is the key to Blues’ title bid and if striker stays fit then Antonio Conte’s men will be champions by April, says club hero Joe Cole

Blues are five points clear at the top of the table, with a trip to champions Leicester next up this weekend

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JOE COLE believes the title race is over - if Diego Costa stays fit.

Chelsea legend Cole, 35, was back training with his former club over Christmas to keep himself in shape ahead of returning to work in the US with Tampa Bay Rowdies.

Diego Costa has fired in 13 games for Prem leaders Chelsea
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Diego Costa has fired in 13 games for Prem leaders ChelseaCredit: Getty Images

And the playmaker saw enough back at Blues' Cobham training ground to convince him that Chelsea's chasing pack could be kissing goodbye to the title by APRIL.

Costa, 28, recently admitted that he wanted to leave Stamford Bridge over the summer.

The Spain hitman has banged in 14 Prem goals in a remarkable turnaround this season and sits one clear of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Alexis Sanchez in the scoring charts.

Antonio Conte's men currently sit five points clear at the top of the table
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Antonio Conte's men currently sit five points clear at the top of the tableCredit: Reuters
Blues legend Joe Cole reckons the title race could be all over by April
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Blues legend Joe Cole reckons the title race could be all over by AprilCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd
And that could come down to whether Conte can keep Costa fit
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And that could come down to whether Conte can keep Costa fitCredit: Getty Images

Those strikes have helped fire Antonio Conte's side five points clear at the top of the table.

However, their 13-game winning run crashed to a halt with a 2-0 defeat at Tottenham, with a tricky trip to champions Leicester next up on Saturday.

Cole, who scored 40 times in 281 appearances for Blues, reckons the fact that his former club aren't playing European football also massively plays into their hands.

He said: "The Premier League is designed, Chelsea have a big advantage because they are not playing in Europe.

"Conte has had a lot of time to work with the team and they look pretty solid.

"I think the most important thing is that Diego Costa is not injured. If so, they will be champions in April."

Cole won three Prem titles and three FA Cups in seven years with Blues
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Cole won three Prem titles and three FA Cups in seven years with BluesCredit: PA:Press Association
Cole is now backing Costa and Co to bounce back from their Spurs defeat
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Cole is now backing Costa and Co to bounce back from their Spurs defeatCredit: Getty Images

At the end of 2016, Cole said: "Conte has done an unbelievable job – the atmosphere in training there is frightening.

“The boys look right on it and right ready to go. I can see them winning the league.

“It is all about players having the right personality on top of the quality and Chelsea have that.

"The Premier League is the toughest competition to win in the world, and that team has the personality to win it.”

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