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.