Chelsea had a surprise loss at Stamford Bridge against Crystal Palace. That result gave fresh breath to the title race, as the gap between the 1st and 2nd place narrowed down to seven points.

The upcoming fixture against Pep Guardiola’s Man City could be decisive for the rest of the campaign.

Chelsea striker Diego Costa thinks the victory against Manchester City in “a six-point affair” on Wednesday could be the reason for the Citizens to drop out of the title race.

“After a loss at home and with a rival closing the gap the importance of the game only grows,” Costa is quoted as saying by ESPN Brasil.

“We know this game against Manchester City will be a six-point affair since if we win the game they will [practically] be out of the title race while we keep the advantage.

“It also depends on the match between Tottenham and Swansea. In any case, we will do our best.

“We hope that the next game the ball will go in, and that we do a better job at handling these counter-attacking plays so we do not suffer from early goals again, and thus avoid what happened [against Palace].”