Joe Cole will make his 100th start for Chelsea tomorrow - and he is determined to end the season with a flourish in a bid to say a heartfelt 'thank you' to manager Jose Mourinho.

The Blues, who must pick up three points from their first trip to the Emirates Stadium to keep the title race alive if Manchester United win at Manchester City today, will be aiming for their 42nd victory of the season, which would equal their highest number of wins in one campaign.

But whatever the overall importance of the game, Cole is determined to repay Mourinho following his recent return from injury.

The England midfielder declared: ''Jose showed faith in me, even with players like Shaun Wright-Phillips and Salomon Kalou on the bench who had done well in recent matches and now I just want to pay him back with my performances.

''One of the first steps on the ladder for me was making my first appearance back in the side but the hard work starts now.

''I am really excited about the end of the season. But for me the task is to get fully match fit and you only get that from playing matches. There is simply no substitute.

''You just want to show desire every day, even when you're injured.

"Many people didn't expect me to be playing again this season but I wanted to prove them wrong, to come back and help the lads.

''I did so much work while I was out but no matter how many lengths you swim, rounds you box or how many sprints you do, football is football and you need to play regularly to be really fit and be able to last the 90 minutes.

''I hadn't played any football for five months when the manager told me at half-time against Valencia in the Champions League that I was going on. I can't tell you just how good that felt. It was a bit like making your debut for a new club.

''It's been a tough season but hopefully I can put it all behind me and get back to doing what I love.''