Andre Villas-Boas has said that Chelsea cannot afford to lose to Tottenham Hotspur.
The Blues – who dropped points on the road at Wigan last weekend – are now 12 points adrift of first place in the Premier League, but can close the gap to nine points with a win at White Hart Lane tonight.
However, the Chelsea boss doesn't expect it to be easy against Harry Redknapp's side.
"This is one of the most important games of the season to keep our hopes alive," he said. "We cannot afford to lose any more games. We need to get points because we are far behind the leaders.
"We expected to get three points at Wigan and we've only ourselves to blame for that result. We should have done better.
"Tottenham are in the middle of an unbelievable run and are a team full of fantastic players. White Hart Lane is one of the most difficult places to go. They always have the backing of a chanting crowd creating a wonderful environment."
Chelsea would move above Tottenham into third place with a win tonight.
