Chelsea captain John Terry believes Nicolas Anelka is in the form of his life after the France striker fired the Blues back to the top of the Premier League.

Anelka took his goal tally to 13 in all competitions this season with a clinical double-strike in Saturday`s 3-0 win at West Bromwich Albion.

With Didier Drogba sidelined for much of the campaign through injury, the pressure has been on Anelka to provide Chelsea`s cutting edge.

The former Real Madrid and Arsenal star has responded in impressive fashion with eight goals in his last four games. It is a run that Terry claims has turned Anelka into Chelsea`s saviour.

`Anelka has been on fire and some of his link-up play, as well as his goals, has been brilliant,` Terry said.

`He has been, and is, the saviour for us at the moment with Didier having been out and only just coming back after injury.

`For me, Anelka is in the best form of his career. When we signed him I said `Thank God you are here` because I used to hate playing against him.

`He was always a problem, always playing on my shoulder, and a great finisher as well. 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 Solomon 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.`

Luiz Felipe Scolari will have an embarrassment of riches when Drogba is finally available and the Chelsea manager is convinced his frontmen can play in the same team even though he only uses one striker normally.

`It is fantastic for me when I have all the players to pick from, more choice, because many times I have 14, 15, 16 players,` Scolari said.

`When I have Drogba, Anelka, Di Santo, and maybe one more player in the future, it is very good for me. When I only have one, it is difficult.

`But Drogba and Anelka can play in the same team, when they have time to play together in training and when they are both in good condition.`