Back-to-back home wins top priority for Villas-Boas

ANDRE VILLAS-BOAS insists Chelsea must win their back-to-back home games with West Brom and Norwich if they are to be considered serious Barclays Premier League title contenders this season.

The Blues were held to a goalless draw in Sunday’s opening-weekend clash at Stoke, while Manchester United and Manchester City both won to open up the earliest of two-point leads on their other main championship rival.

And although there are still 37 games to go, new Chelsea boss Villas-Boas acknowledged his side could not afford to fall further behind the two Manchester clubs before the end of the month.