Jose Mourinho can see the finish line as the Blues inched closer to the Premier League title following Saturday evening’s 2-1 victory over Stoke.

Eden Hazard opened the scoring from the spot before Charlie Adam’s mouthwatering 65-yard goal levelled the score just before half-time.

A rare goalkeeping mistake from Asmir Begovic gifted Loic Remy the winner and restored the Blues’ seven point lead over Arsenal.

But Mourinho feels no pressure from the chasing pack, instead insisting it is up to his Chelsea side to do what is needed from now until the end of the season.

“Pressure (is) because we need to win six matches and we know that,” Mourinho said.

“We’re not doing our countdown based on the points the second, the third, the fourth lose.

“Our countdown must be made of our victories. At lunchtime (we needed) six victories and one draw, at dinner time five victories and one draw.”

Chelsea started off the brighter of the two sides, with Stoke unable to get out of their own half in the opening 20 minutes.

The Blues came close to opening the scoring early on when Oscar pulled the ball back for Remy, who started ahead of Diego Costa, but his deflected shot was expertly clawed away by Begovic.

Five minutes before the break Hazard gave the league leaders the lead. Cesc Fabregas drew in Phillip Wollscheid who rashly went to ground and brought down the Spaniard.

Hazard then stepped up and sent Begovic the wrong way to put Chelsea a goal up.

But moments later Adam equalised with what could be goal of the season. The Scottish international, deep inside his own half, spotted Courtois off his line and exquisitely lobbed the Belgian number one from 55 yards out.

Costa was brought on at the break in order to find the winner but only lasted 10 minutes, limping off with what looked like a serious hamstring injury.

Mourinho defended the decision to play Costa, who had only just recovered from his previous hamstring injury.

“I don’t say a gamble because we did every test, we did every scan,” the Blues boss said.

“The player trained two days 100 per cent with the team, the medical department was convinced that he was ready.

“The player was convinced he was ready, not for 90 minutes, but he was ready to play and to help the team.

“Sometimes as a manager I have to risk things. Medical departments have to do the same, if they want to be top medical departments like our department is.

“The safe medical department cannot work with me. People with fear, afraid to risk, cannot work with me.”

Remy sealed the victory when Begovic’s roll-out was intercepted by Willian and Hazard squared the ball to Remy to tap into an empty net.