Wednesday 5 April 2017 19:43, UK
Can Tottenham or Manchester City catch Chelsea in the Premier League title race? Sky Sports pundits Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher discuss...
The Blues suffered a shock loss to Crystal Palace on Saturday with Spurs cutting the gap to seven points as they won their first away league game since New Year's Day at Burnley.
City had to settle for a point after a 2-2 draw at Arsenal but have a game in hand over third-placed Liverpool, who beat Everton in the Merseyside derby.
Both Neville and Carragher believe that Tottenham are the more likely to put pressure on Chelsea, although the former Manchester United defender says it could be a tall order.
"It was inconceivable to think that Chelsea were going to go the whole season without dropping points," Neville told Sky Sports News HQ.
"They will drop more points before the end of the season, there's no doubt about that because they have some tough fixtures coming up but can the others capitalise and are they capable of going on the run required to be able to catch them?
"It has got to happen quickly because with Chelsea's next few fixtures, you would think that something significant would have to happen and then maybe the others could mount a challenge. Tottenham are probably the best placed.
"I love the job that Mauricio Pochettino does. I love the team and the way they play and their budget is nowhere near what the other budgets are at the top of the league.
"I'd love to see them challenge Chelsea and push them to the line... but I'm not quite sure they can mount a challenge this season. I hope they can but I'm not quite sure they will. I think they are too far away.
"Tottenham have still got to play some tough games as well in the next few weeks with the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal so you can't think they are going to win every single game."
While Neville doesn't believe Spurs can catch their London rivals, Carragher says they need to keep going as they have done in recent months to try and put some heat on Chelsea.
"Tottenham would have to win every game and they have got tough games... In the next three or four games, if they could cut that gap to four or five points then Chelsea may start to feel a little bit more pressure but seven points is still a big lead at the moment," he said.
"All Spurs can do, like they did with Leicester last season, is put that pressure on. Every time they asked a question of Leicester last year, they answered it and you feel, looking at Chelsea with the manager and players that they have, they will answer those questions.
"It's good for the others that they are being asked those questions because for the last month or six weeks, you've felt that no one is really chipping away at that lead but if Tottenham can keep going - it looks like they will be the ones, not City after yesterday - then we could have a title race."
Up next for Chelsea is the visit of City on Wednesday evening, although Neville thinks Pep Guardiola's side missed a trick in the title race with their performance against Arsenal.
"I was disappointed with Man City because I thought they really could have been the ones to damage Chelsea because they play them on Wednesday," he added.
"Beat Arsenal away, really go for it which I didn't think they did because they were very passive in that last half an hour, then go and beat Chelsea on Wednesday and really put some pressure on but that didn't happen.
"I think a real top team with belief and confidence, believing they can catch Chelsea, thinking they can get to the top of the league and win a championship would have you where they want you and finish you off.
"Man City yesterday didn't do that. They didn't have the mentality to do that. Arsenal were there for the taking and Man City didn't capitalise on that.
"They are going to need to do something against Chelsea on Wednesday if they are even going to be thinking about it [being in the title race]."
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