At present, they have only a four-point lead over Tottenham Hotspur in the race for the fourth spot and Azpilicueta has urged the team to respond strongly after the winter break, he told: “We haven’t made Stamford Bridge as solid as we would like this year. This is the best time to recover this solidity, with three big games in a row at home where we can show we are ready and able to make Stamford Bridge a tough place to come. With the fans we have had some disappointments at home altogether. When these three opportunities come we have to take them one by one, and hopefully we can build up on this. It’s key for the success of the season.”
The Blues are scheduled to face Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern Munich over the next three league games and those matches could make or break their season. United have already beaten them twice during the ongoing campaign and the Blues need to step up to the plate to come up with maximum points at Stamford Bridge on February 17.
Otherwise, they could be within striking distance for Spurs when they face each other on February 22. Elsewhere, Chelsea are regarded as the underdogs for their Champions League round of 16 tie against Bayern Munich. Their prospects of beating the Bavarian giants will be dependent on a strong performance in front of their fans without conceding an away goal.