Chelsea must play like champions, says Mourinho

Last season when Liverpool were doing so bad.

Pochettino’s stock is very much on the rise on the back of Tottenham’s unbeaten 12-match run in the Premier League.

That’s not to say that there’s still not a little trepidation.

“Nobody speaks about them as title contenders like they speak about (Manchester) City, (Manchester) United, this and that”.

Spurs welcome the Blues to White Hart Lane on Sunday for their third consecutive league London derby and the hosts will be aiming for a repeat of the performance in last season’s corresponding fixture.

On a purely tactical level, though, Tottenham should have the advantage.

Tottenham 2-2 Chelsea: Chelsea are certainly nowhere near the side they were last season while Spurs are in excellent form of late. In this most unpredictable of Premier League seasons, where Leicester City occupy first place and defending champions Chelsea lie down in 15th, even a tilt at a first league title in 55 years is being mooted in some quarters.

However, it’s certainly a quick turnaround for Mauricio Pochettino’s side after their 5000 mile round trip to Azerbajian to play Qarabag, where a late Harry Kane goal secured a 1-0 win to book Spurs’ place in the last 32 of the Europa League. We are in a position where you want to be after 13 games but there are 25 to go.

“I feel we have enough quality and a strong squad”, said Pochettino.

They lose a couple of matches and nothing happens.

“If this country, in that moment, decided it was not a problem for Chelsea, why is it a problem now for Tottenham?”

Hazard has scored in his last three encounters with Tottenham and this could lay the scene for him to rediscover the form he’s been missing this season.

“He was very good with me when I was at Espanyol and he was at Real Madrid”.

“I am not saying Papy Djilobodji is ready because he did not have chances to play and his is a different situation, but Zouma and Cahill are both ready and if John doesn’t play, I go with them”.

“I think the senior players and the young players that come through the academy can help us in the very busy period we have ahead”. But Mourinho says his Blues have also had hard fixture pile-ups in Europe and insists there is no pressure or expectation on Tottenham, who have only won three trophies in 31 years. You play the top teams and if you win you’re a hero.