Thibaut Courtois: Chelsea must keep calm if Tottenham cut our lead at the top of the Premier League

Title message: Courtois has urged his Chelsea team-mates to keep cool
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Simon Johnson12 April 2017

Thibaut Courtois has told his Chelsea team-mates they must keep their cool if they suffer any more setbacks in the title race.

Chelsea have led the table for the last five months but are being put under pressure by an in-form Tottenham side who have won their last six League games and can close to within four points when they face Bournemouth at home on Saturday.

Chelsea have already slipped up this month by suffering a shock defeat at home to Crystal Palace, and they face a much tougher fixture at Manchester United on Sunday.

With seven games to go, Courtois says Chelsea must be ready to handle the possibility of seeing their lead decrease even further.

He said: “To win the title, we just have to do the same as we have done over the last few months. We have to try to win our games and we have to stay calm, whatever happens.

“Maybe it will happen that we don’t win two games in a row, but we are seven points clear so we have to keep on doing our thing.

“The teams we are playing will be a factor because they will have more to play for. We will face teams who are fighting relegation or battling to get into Europe, so there are no easy games from now until the end of the season.

In Pictures | Bournemouth vs Chelsea | 08/04/17

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“We will maybe face hard games where teams will close down more and look for the counter- attack because they have to go for the win, so it’s not easy. But we just have to keep our winning mentality and fight until the end.”

The Belgium keeper believes coach Antonio Conte will have a major role to play in making sure the Chelsea players don’t suffer a late collapse.

He added: “A lot of players have the will to win, but sometimes if winning becomes a habit, the hunger might drop and you will lose some games. I always try to have that hunger in training, to become better and to win.

“But it’s always nice to have a manager who keeps the players at the level they need to have, who keeps our focus and doesn’t allow us to drop our guard. That’s a good thing, that’s how you can win the League.”

Defender David Luiz, who is in his second spell at Stamford Bridge, has never won the Premier League.

He added: “We are seven ahead but that is nothing in the Premier League, we know it can go away very quickly.

“Of course, this is a big motivation for me and the team, it’s a big opportunity. Things have been going very well so I’m happy. But I’m so focused because I know it’s not finished yet.”

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