Chelsea defender Marcos Alonso has refused to play down the importance of Sunday's Premier League clash with Tottenham Hotspur.

The Blues are currently fifth in the Premier League table - five points behind fourth-placed Tottenham with just eight games of the 2017-18 campaign left to play.

Defeat for Chelsea at Stamford Bridge would be catastrophic to the club's chances of securing Champions League football for next season, and Alonso has conceded that it is "a must-win game".

"It is definitely a must-win game. Here at Chelsea, we have to fight until the end for every target we can achieve, and next year we have to be in the Champions League. On Sunday, we have to get a win," Alonso told reporters.

"It's a massive game. We have a very important target, which is arriving at the end of the season in top four. Starting on Sunday, it's the first important three points for us. It's not over until it's mathematically impossible, but it would be very difficult for sure if we lost."

Chelsea have won 10, drawn two and lost three of their 15 home Premier League matches this season.