Chelsea
Chelsea will be hoping to beat Stoke City and maintain their position at the top of the Premier LeagueReuters

Chelsea travel to the Britannia stadium to take on Stoke City as they look to maintain their top position in the Premier League.

Although the Blues have been in fine form in the Premier League this season, defending champions Manchester City are right on their heels, and a defeat in this fixture would see both the sides stay level on points.

As a result, Chelsea will be desperate to register a win at Stoke so that they can maintain a three point cushion between themselves and Manchester City.

The Potters will, however, prove to be formidable opponents, having already beaten the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal this season.

Still the Blues will be the favourites in this game due to their form in the Premier League this season.

Although teams are known to struggle at the Britannia stadium due to the Potters' physical style of play, Mourinho admits that he is not worried as long as they get a good referee.

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"I like [the test of going to Stoke]," he said. "I like, but it's no problem with a good referee that can understand what is aggressivity, or when the aggression finishes and start the rules of the game. No problem at all.

"We need a good referee, yes. I think we need a good, experienced referee who can understand exactly that. What happened in both boxes in this kind of matches needs important decisions.

"What is aggressivity and what goes beyond, go beyond the rules of the game. That is important, but I like it, yes."

Meanwhile, Stoke City will also be hoping to get a positive result despite them being the underdogs in this fixture.

Stoke haven't been exactly strong at home this season as they have already suffered three home defeats at the hands of Burnley, Leicester City and Aston Villa.

However, they will draw some confidence from the fact that they registered a home win against Chelsea last season. But Stoke City boss Mark Hughes admits that the West London club are much stronger this time around.

"They are strong enough, obviously people they've added to the squad have taken them to a different from last season certainly," Hughes told Stoke City's official website. "I would suggest they are stronger to attempt to win the Premier League this time around."

The former Manchester City boss feels that Chelsea can play well even during the absence of their key players due to the depth and quality of their squad.

"They will always have the resources to add to their squad and make themselves strong and even if they have injuries in key positions, they have outstanding young players who can supplement what they've got," he added.

"They are never really exposed but it's a bit different when we have two or three injuries in the same position because our strength and quality diminishes but they don't suffer from that."

Where to Watch Live

The match is set for an 8:00pm GMT (1.30 pm IST, 3.00 pm ET) start with live coverage on Star Sports 4 and Star Sports HD 2. The action can also be viewed via live streaming online in India on Star Sports online.

Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports 1 HD will show the match live in the UK , and viewers can also watch the match via live streaming online on  Sky Sports Online. Catch the action in the US on NBC Sports Live Extra; the game can also be live-streamed online on NBC Sports Extra.

Audience in the Middle East and North Africa can watch the game via live streaming online on Bein Sports Connect, while South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa viewers can live stream the match on SuperSport online. Australia viewers can live stream the match on Fox Sports On Demand, while viewers in Canada can do the same on Watch Sportsnet.