Jamie Redknapp sends stark Tottenham warning to Chelsea

Jamie Redknapp says Chelsea will be worried about their status as title favourites after the weekend’s results.

The Blues suffered a surprise blip in their title push on Saturday when they were beaten 2-1 by Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge to dent their bid.

That result allowed Tottenham Hotspur to close the gap to Chelsea down to seven points as Mauricio Pochettino’s men look to crank up the pressure on the Blues.

Chelsea now have to prepare themselves for their crunch Premier League clash against Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night as they look to get their title bid back on track.

And former Spurs midfielder Redknapp has warned that the pressure will be well and truly on the Blues if they lose to Pep Guardiola’s men this week.

Writing in his column for The Daily Mail, Redknapp said: “The title race is back on — especially if Chelsea lose to Manchester City on Wednesday. Doubts are bound to creep in after the defeat by Crystal Palace. This is Antonio Conte’s biggest test since switching to a back three.

“Tottenham will be the side Conte fears most. Gone are the days of ‘tippy tappy Tottenham’. This is a team packed with aggressive, young players who will have learned from their collapse at the end of the last campaign.

“You look at the likes of Toby Alderweireld, Victor Wanyama and Dele Alli and see leaders all over the pitch.

“Burnley had the Premier League’s sixth-best home record before Saturday’s game. To go to Turf Moor and win 2-0 is no mean feat without Harry Kane and wing backs Danny Rose and Kyle Walker.

“When I was playing, people used to see Tottenham as a stepping stone. Under Mauricio Pochettino, they believe they can win the league. Chelsea must focus on the fact that they can put the title to bed with victory over Pep Guardiola’s side. If they don’t, Tottenham are ready to pounce.”

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Chelsea finished in 10th place in the Premier League table last season, while Spurs ended up third despite challenging Leicester City for the title for most of the campaign.