After denying Fernando Torres almost single-handedly at Anfield on Tuesday evening, Petr Cech’s next task is to keep a clean sheet against the only man to have scored more goals than the Liverpool striker this season.

The Chelsea goalkeeper’s admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo is such that he has voted for him as the Professional Footballers’ Association Player of the Year - just ahead of Torres, in fact - but he hopes to prevent the Portugal winger scoring when Manchester United visit Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Many goalkeepers would be fearful of confronting Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tévez in their present form, but Cech is relishing the challenge in a contest that will help to decide who wins the Barclays Premier League title. “I voted for Ronaldo, but it’s difficult to choose,” he said. “I think that Torres had a great season, but at the beginning of the season he did not get so much time playing.

“I always like playing against Manchester United, with their top players. As a goalkeeper you know you will have some work to do. So when you keep a clean sheet against such an attacking team, it is great.”

Chelsea must beat United to retain any chance of winning the title (and still hope that United lose points in one of their final two fixtures), but Cech does not believe that it will be the clubs’ last winner-take-all clash of the season because he expects them to meet again in the Champions League final. Avram Grant’s team are favourites to reach the final in Moscow on May 21 after the 1-1 first-leg draw against Liverpool, with Cech preferring an all-English final against United rather than yet another match against Barcelona.

“It’s incredible to think what can be won or lost in the two games we’re waiting for,” he said. “That’s why it is exciting because you don’t have games for nothing, every game is like a final.

“The Premier League is getting to the end and it’s exciting to think where we can be after Saturday after United, but it would be great to play them again in Moscow for many reasons. Chelsea-United is always entertaining and, for the passion for football of the English fans, I think it would be a great occasion.”

Cech believes that if Chelsea can get past Liverpool next week they will go on to win the Champions League for the first time, which would be a remarkable achievement, given the instability and injuries they have suffered this season. Grant’s players have shown the resilience that is required to win trophies, shrugging off a poor performance at Anfield to come away with an important result.

“I am positive if we go through we will win it,” Cech said. “We found ourselves 1-0 down, which is something we didn’t want to do, but then we put a great effort into the game and we were a bit lucky with our goal. But for the character and the effort we showed, we deserved it.

“We’re only at half-time, but we need to make sure the goal is crucial. Now we have the advantage of playing at home and I hope we can use it.

“With the result, you can say that we’re strong enough. I especially liked the fact that when we found ourselves 1-0 down, we kept our chins up and just kept going. We played with good character and didn’t lose our heads. We didn’t panic at all, even when the time was going closer and closer to the end. That was a good sign.

“We knew, in the last few minutes, that it was not the best result we wanted, but at 1-0 you just make sure that you do not concede a second goal. Every occasion we had, every possibility to counter-attack, to push forward, we did so. For that effort, in the end, we were rewarded with a little bit of luck.”

Frank Lampard was at his mother’s bedside in a London hospital with the rest of his family last night after her condition worsened. Pat Lampard, 58, has been in intensive care for ten days after suffering from pneumonia, but after improving last weekend, her condition has become critical. The midfield player will be given compassionate leave by Chelsea and is likely to miss the Barclays Premier League match against Manchester United on Saturday.