Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has played down his winning record against Mauricio Pochettino ahead of today's clash at Stamford Bridge.

The Portuguese came out on top on all four occasions his Real Madrid side faced Espanyol during the time they spent in La Liga.

"For the good and for the bad, I don't believe in this," the 50-year-old told reporters. "My record against him was me as a Real Madrid manager and him as an Espanyol manager.

"If the record was in his favour, it would be a big surprise. For the record to be in favour of a Real Madrid manager is normal.

"He's a very good manager and is doing very well."

The Blues, currently in third place, will cut the gap on Premier League leaders Arsenal to four points with a win, while the Saints could go as high as second if they pull off an upset.