Giggs: United can't afford to let Chelsea go clear

Ryan Giggs hopes Manchester United can hand Chelsea their first defeat of the Premier League season and bring a halt to the Blues' blistering form, which has seen them drop just two points so far this campaign. The 38-year-old Welshman knows what it takes to win a league title having been a key man in United's success in recent years. And he also knows his side cannot allow Chelsea to stretch their lead at the top of the table. Giggs said: "We recognise we cannot afford to let Chelsea get too far ahead in the title race. They are four points in front and have got off to a good start, so it is a big game." Giggs also believes it is important to start the game well - something United have struggled to do in all competitions this season, having fallen behind eight times in 12 matches. "You cannot go throughout a season and keep going behind and having to rely on the lads up front to score the goals," he said. "It is something we have looked at and are still looking at. It happened again against Braga, but against Chelsea if we go behind it will be tough to come back." Chelsea will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing defeat in their Champions League game at Shakhtar Donetsk. Goalkeeper Petr Cech is refusing to panic, though, and believes his side can draw on what they experienced in Ukraine to help them beat United. "It is good that this happened now because Manchester United is a similar team who play on the counter-attack away from home," he said. "We will play more or less the same kind of side as Shakhtar - we didn't deal with it well so hopefully this will serve as a lesson for the weekend." From FIFA