Owen Hargreaves speaks on Chelsea's top-four prospects

Former Manchester United star Owen Hargreaves has praised the performance from Chelsea during their recent 2-1 league defeat against Manchester City on the road.

The Blues went toe-to-toe with the Cityzens during the course of the opening period but they trailed 2-1 at the break after a couple of defensive mistakes through Emerson.

In the second half, the west London side struggled to create any clear-cut chance on goal but they were nonetheless appreciated by Hargreaves due to their intent and possession of the ball.

"They came here, came to play, kept the ball and they posed a threat. Pep Guardiola knows today was a tough game against a really good side. Watching Chelsea up close there, they’re going to be a top-four team, there’s no question. They were really, really good," he told BT Sport.

The west London outfit have dropped to the fourth position in the standings following their first league defeat in seven games. They still hold a healthy seven-point advantage over fifth-placed Wolverhampon Wanderers in the race for the final Champions League spot.

In midweek, the Blues have an important Champions League outing against Valencia on the road and the game remains a must-win, particularly with them trailing the Spanish outfit on the head-to-head statistic in the pursuit of the second spot in their group.