The English Premier League schedule is back on Wednesday and Chelsea will be playing a big match on the calendar as the Blues take on Sunderland at the Stadium of Light and Jose Mourinho's club will be looking to close the gap on Arsenal, as they are just a handful of points out of the lead on the EPL table as play starts this week.
Chelsea has a match coming up against Stoke City on Saturday and them the team has a match in the Champions League before another matchup with Sunderland, which comes after a match with Crystal Palace and before a huge showdown with Arsenal. That match could help decide who is leading the league table at that point and will be a big test for Chelsea to deal with. The team is currently in second place on the tale by four points and they are coming into the day after a win last weekend, taking down Southampton with ease by two goals.
Chelsea suffered a quick deficit against Southampton with a goal in the first minutes, but Gary Cahill came through with a goal to tie the match before John Terry scored the winner and Demba Ba added a goal in the 90th to finish things off and now the team is looking for another win on Wednesday. The Blues are one of many teams playing on Wednesday and the schedule has a number of good matchups, as Manchester United is playing against Everton, while Fulham and Tottenham will also be going at it.
Check here for the Chelsea match live coverage from NBC.
Jose Mourinho made winning titles a habit for Chelsea's players when he first arrived in 2004 and three months into his second stint at Stamford Bridge he is urging them to rediscover it.
After a third of the Premier League season Chelsea are tucked in four points behind leaders Arsenal but Portugal's Mourinho admits there is "a lot of progress to be made".
With eight matches in December, starting at struggling Sunderland on Wednesday, Mourinho knows it is crucial Chelsea maintain the pressure on their title rivals.
"There are things in the job that are not easy, and one of those things is to make the pressure of fighting for the title become something natural, something the players accept in a positive way," Mourinho told a news conference on Tuesday.
"Here we have some people that have won the title before but not for quite a long time, and when you don't win it for quite a long time you forget it.
"We have other people that have played in clubs that are not used to fighting for titles, it is just about doing fantastically today and not worrying about tomorrow or any big responsibilities.
"You have to learn how to live with the pressure of trying to be top of the league, how to fight until the last moment, knowing that every detail of every game can make a difference in the end. It's a process, not something you do with a click."
Mourinho said six teams were chasing the title this season, including champions Manchester United who are nine points adrift of Arsenal in eighth place.
"There is a lot to play for in December and January, we will see if one of the top six opens a real gap," he said.
"We can't speak about favorites but all the six teams are title contenders."
Chelsea could have Samuel Eto'o back on Wednesday after the striker recovered quicker than expected from a hamstring injury sustained in the Champions League defeat by Basel last week.
However, playmaker Oscar and defender David Luiz are unavailable.
"Eto'o is back training with the team," Mourinho said.
"I will have to see today but he looks fine. There is a chance he can play tomorrow."
(Reuters)
