Chelsea head coach Roberto Di Matteo has insisted that his side's title chances should be assessed during the Christmas period.

The Blues are currently top of the Premier League table, four points ahead of nearest rivals Manchester United and Manchester City.

Despite claiming that his team are capable of dealing with the pressure of being league leaders, the Italian is keen for a judgement to be held back until they have played some of the bigger clubs.

"We can deal with it. Every time we play at home our fans have high expectations of us," he told reporters. "It doesn't worry me, we can live with that kind of pressure.

"But it is too early to make any judgement in terms of the league. We have some great games coming up against Spurs and Manchester United."

Di Matteo was appointed Chelsea manager on a full-time basis during the summer.