Mateo Kovacic: Chelsea Have to 'Wake Up' After Manchester United Defeat

Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic has urged the Blues to "wake up" following the 2-0 defeat to Manchester United on Monday. 

The loss took Chelsea's winless streak in the Premier League to four matches, leaving them just one point ahead of Tottenham Hotspur in the standings. A clash with Spurs is next on the schedule.

Kovacic urged the team to get back to the form they showed earlier this season:

"We are still fourth, so we are still in a good position, but we need to wake up because they are coming from behind.

"We need to play these next games like we were playing in the beginning of the season and change some things as well, obviously.

"We need to improve a lot because we have tough games ahead of us and we have to be focused."

Anthony Martial and Harry Maguire got the goals for United, who benefited from several controversial VAR decisions to bag a crucial win in the race for the top four:

The Blues remain in fourth place, but things are tight behind them, with Spurs, Sheffield United and Manchester United all within three points.

A top-five finish may be enough for a spot in next year's UEFA Champions League, depending on the outcome of Manchester City's appeal against a two-year UEFA ban for financial fair play violations, per BBC Sport's Dan Roan.

The Blues' upcoming schedule is tricky, with Champions League outings against Bayern Munich and league clashes against the likes of Spurs, Everton and Manchester City before the end of March.

Marc Atkins/Getty Images

That leaves them in real danger of sliding out of the top five if they can't turn their form around. Spurs, their next opponents, have won three in a row and shown remarkable resilience under manager Jose Mourinho. If they win at Stamford Bridge, they'll pass the Blues in the standings.

Kovacic has enjoyed a solid season and was a standout against the Red Devils, per Chelsea blogger Simon Phillips:

The Croat lost midfield partner N'Golo Kante to an injury early, and Chelsea boss Frank Lampard told reporters after the match it didn't "look great" for the former Leicester City man.

If Kante is sidelined for a long spell, it will put even more pressure on Kovacic to keep performing well and help the Blues halt this slide.