Jose Mourinho backs Spurs for title push ahead of Sunday's derby

Tottenham v Chelsea-

Mauricio Pochettino's side have not tasted defeat in the Premier League since the opening day of the season.

The 12-match unbeaten run has taken them to within four points of top spot ahead of this weekend's visit of champions Chelsea.

 

And Mourinho admits he been hugely impressed by Spurs as his team prepares to make the short trip to White Hart Lane on Sunday.

"When I watch them play it's not a surprise for me," said the Blues boss, whose side have endured a woeful start to their title defence.

"If they say they are fighting for the title, I would not laugh. I would accept it because the team is very good."

Pochettino has complained about the noon kick-off on Sunday, so soon after Tottenham's 2,500-mile return from their Thursday night Europa League clash at Qarabag in Azerbaijan.

But there is no sympathy from Mourinho, who has long bemoaned the fixture schedule for teams competing in Europe and recalled April 2014, when his side had three key fixtures in a week.

"We played a Champions League semi-final against Atletico Madrid in one week," Mourinho said.

"We played Wednesday and we played Tuesday. In the middle of these two matches we had to play against Liverpool.

"Our country decided that it was not a problem for us to play Saturday or Sunday, so we played Sunday, before the second leg of the Champions League, which is the biggest competition in the world.

"If this country in that moment decided it was not a problem for Chelsea, why is it a problem now for Tottenham?

"And that Champions League semi-final was at the end of the season, where the legs are a bit heavier than November.

"It was not a problem for us, it's not a problem for Tottenham."

Mourinho suggested Chelsea's fatigue following Tuesday's game in Israel and a journey only marginally shorter than Spurs' was challenging.

"When you play Saturday and then you play Tuesday, you are immediately in accumulation, you are already in overload," Mourinho added.

"And then even if you have a longer period to rest until the next match, you accumulate in the first two matches.

"This story is a story that doesn't convince me and it's a story that we have a solution for everyone or we don't have a solution for anyone.

"For example, in Italy, in Germany, in Portugal, there is a solution for everyone. You play Tuesday in the Champions League knockout, you play Friday in your league.

"You play in Europa League on the Thursday, then you play on the Monday. There are rules for everyone.

"Here, I think it's the same for everyone."