MX23RW : Thursday, April 10 08:16:53| >> :60:3324:3324:

Cesar Azpilicueta: 'Chelsea ready to pounce on any slip-up'

Chelsea defender Cesar Azpilicueta admits that his side cannot afford to drop points this weekend, with a chance to potentially close the gap on both Manchester clubs.

Cesar Azpilicueta has warned title rivals Manchester City and Manchester United that Chelsea are ready to pounce at the top end of the Premier League this weekend.

The Blues travel to West Ham United in Saturday's early kickoff, 28 hours before the division's top two sides lock horns at Old Trafford in the pick of the weekend's fixtures.

Versatile defender Azpilicueta is determined to put added pressure on the two teams directly above his side before they kick a ball, with United three points better off and City a further eight in front after 15 games.

"The two teams can't both take three points, so every time you get an opportunity to get close, you have to take it," he told Sky Sports News. "We have to be intelligent to look at ourselves and then we'll see how the opponents will react."

"The only target we have is to keep winning points and not drop any. We have to go game by game in this busy period in December - every three days you are fighting for a big three points.

"We have to look at ourselves. In the last few months you can look at where the opponents are until then we can only look at ourselves. We will then see where we are in the final weeks of the season, where we could fight for it."

Chelsea have won six and drawn one of their last seven top-flight fixtures since going down 2-1 to Crystal Palace in mid-October.

ID:313668: cacheID:313668:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:2795:
Written by
Daniel Lewis
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho and Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola shake hands before the derby at Old Trafford on September 10, 2016
Read Next:
Guardiola: 'Mourinho is like my twin'
>
Read more about Cesar Azpilicueta Football
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool31227272304273
2Arsenal311711356263062
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest31176851371457
4Chelsea31158854371753
5Newcastle UnitedNewcastle30165952391353
6Manchester CityMan City31157957401752
7Aston Villa3114984646051
8Fulham3113994742548
9Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton31121184947247
10Bournemouth311291051401145
11Crystal Palace30111093935443
12Brentford31126135147442
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd31108133741-438
14Tottenham HotspurSpurs311141658451337
15Everton31714103338-535
16West Ham UnitedWest Ham3198143552-1735
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves3195174359-1632
18Ipswich TownIpswich3148193165-3420
19Leicester CityLeicester3145222570-4517
20Southampton3124252374-5110


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!