Tottenham - Chelsea Preview: Mourinho plays down concerns over away form

All of the Blues' dropped points so far in this Premier League season have come on the road but, ahead of a trip to White Hart Lane on New Year's Day, the manager is confident

Jose Mourinho does not feel that Chelsea's away form is a cause for concern ahead of Thursday's trip to face Tottenham at White Hart Lane.

The Blues have dropped points on just five occasions so far this season in the Premier League and sit three points clear of second-placed Manchester City ahead of their trip to north London but their four draws and solitary defeat have all come on the road, with Sunday's 1-1 draw with Southampton representing the most recent setback.

When it was put to him that Chelsea's away form could see them caught by City during 2015, Mourinho argued that his team were simply going through a tricky run of fixtures.

"We had very difficult fixtures away from home. We lost one game [against Newcastle] that we didn't deserve to lose," the Portuguese told the press.

"We are doing well. Every match is difficult. When we go to Tottenham it's difficult, when we go to Swansea it's difficult, when we go to QPR it's difficult. I don't think there are easy matches.

"At the end of the season there are 19 matches at home and 19 matches away. Of course it's more difficult now - we have a difficult period, other teams have an easier one 0 but if it's a draw [that decides the fixture list] it's a draw, you cannot complain with a draw."

Chelsea boast an impressive home record against Spurs in the Premier League but drew at White Hart Lane last season and required John Terry's second-half goal to snatch a point.

Like Mourinho, Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino has a full squad from which to choose, with Nabil Bentaleb set to return from illness for a side who have found form of late.

Unbeaten in the league since December's 3-0 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, Tottenham have taken 11 points from their last five games and held in-form Manchester United to a goalless draw on Sunday.

Pochettino wants Spurs to take the belief from their recent form into Thursday's London derby and kick off 2015 with what would be an impressive victory.

"We need to believe like [we did against United] and try to play our game, we need to keep this feeling and try show the same performance," he told the club's official website.

"I think we are in the process that we start to believe more. This is important and [Sunday] was a good example of that belief.

"Every game is different and we need to believe. It's a tough game against first in the table but why not?"