Having beaten their closest rivals in the Premier League title race in the FA Cup on Saturday, Antonio Conte and his Chelsea side looked to heap more pressure on Tottenham as they returned to domestic business against Southampton on Tuesday night.
The west Londoners did just that in fine fashion with a 4-2 win over the south coast side who, despite causing problems going forward, allowed Conte’s clinical front line to break through with some poor defending.
Speaking after the game, the former Juventus manager kept to the narrative that his side must only focus on themselves and ignore the form of Spurs, who face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Wednesday.
When asked whether or not the win, which gives the Blues a seven point lead in the Premier League title race, Conte batted away any suggestion that he feels comfortable.
“It’s important for us to look at ourselves not the others,” said the Italian.
Whilst Conte may not be admitting it, having lost at Wembley and now with a much larger gap to claw back, the pressure is on Mauricio Pochettino’s side now more than ever.
The north Londoners were arguably the better side at the national stadium, however, putting in such a performance and still losing in a game of such magnitude can have a huge effect on a squad mentally.
Furthermore, in making the trip to south London this evening, second placed Spurs are met by a Sam Allardyce side which in recent weeks have toppled three of the biggest clubs in the league, beating Liverpool, Arsenal and the league leaders themselves Chelsea.
With Belgian striker Christian Benteke bang in form and those around him managing to chip in with goals as well, the side and the infamous Selhurst crowd will be more than confident going into the clash.
What makes a win even more imperative for Pochettino’s side is the comparative run-ins of the two top sides in the league. Chelsea’s 4-2 win over the Saints was a result in one of their toughest games left this season. The Blues still have a trip to Everton to contend with and, whilst a few weeks ago a clash at West Brom looked daunting, Tony Pulis’ side have really gone-off the boil in recent weeks.
With Conte’s side having arguably the easiest run in of the top six over the next month, Spurs have one of the hardest. After Allardyce’s men, two London derbies against Arsenal and West Ham lie in wait as well as the visit of in form Manchester United and a trip to unpredictable champions Leicester City.
A saving grace is a clash with Hull City on the last day of the season, however, by then it is more than likely that the title will have been decided.
Therefore, whilst Conte will not admit it publicly, watching on last night those in north London will have felt more uncomfortable than ever.