Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has claimed that Wednesday's Champions League clash with Qarabag FK is his side's biggest game of the season so far.
The Blues would seal their place in the last 16 of the competition with victory in Baku, ensuring that they could go into their matchday six contest at home to Atletico Madrid with some margin for error.
Chelsea ran out 6-0 winners in the reverse fixture at Stamford Bridge, but Qarabag have since drawn home and away against Atletico while only narrowly losing to Group C leaders Roma.
"We have to play the most important game of the season from the start until now. If we are able to win against Qarabag, we can go through to the next round of the Champions League and this is very important because this period from now until January is very busy, so it is very important to win the game," he told reporters.
"For sure it won't be easy because in the last two games they drew twice against Atletico Madrid, and before that they lost the game but Roma were struggling a lot to win against them so it is very important to be focused, to work and to try to win the game. I must be honest, these players always show great desire and will to fight in every game. Against Roma, together we didn't show this – me first. I always put myself before the players and I always take the responsibility.
"In Rome we didn't deserve to finish the first half 2-0 down, but the second half was negative because we didn't show the desire to come back to try to draw it or win. But I think this season, we faced a lot of problems from the start and now we are trying to solve these problems, to recall players, to find the right form for players like, for example, Eden [Hazard] and it is the same for [Alvaro] Morata who is playing his first season in England.
"Then [N'Golo] Kante is recovering good form and we know very well the importance of these players for us. We had a lot of problems and also we are trying to change something in the tactical aspect and to find different solutions, because when you are conceding many goals, it means you have to find a new balance."
Chelsea have won five of their last six games across all competitions, although the exception was their most recent outing in the Champions League.
Barney Corkhill
