SAINTS will NOT be focussed on blowing the Premier League title race wide open when they visit leaders Chelsea tomorrow night.

Instead Claude Puel's men are planning on atoning for a poor display last time out in the 3-0 defeat to Manchester City and prove they can compete with the leading sides once more.

Saint have not won against any of the top sides in eight attempts this season, but have ambitions to change that.

A shock result at Stamford Bridge would open up a title race, with Tottenham currently in hot pursuit, four points behind Antonio Conte's men.

Saints defender Jack Stephens admits, however, that changing the landscape of the Premier League is not the priority.

"We can't look too much into the title race because it's nothing to do with us really," he said.

"We are just concentrating on our games and our match is at Chelsea, where we want to take maximum points.

"That obviously will have an affect on the title race but I'm not focussed on that."

The 23-year-old wouldn't mind delaying Chelsea's Premier League party, with Saints aiming to pull off a surprise win.

"They're going to be big favourites and are probable champions and rightly so, they've been fantastic," he said.

"It's going to be difficult but we're confident we can go there and get a positive result there and stop them winning the league as early as they can do.

"They're top of the league and they are there for a reason, so it's going to be a really good test for us," he added. "It's important we're up for and ready for the battle."

Stephens is relishing the challenge of facing Chelsea's bruising striker Diego Costa at the Bridge.

"I've played against some very good strikers and that's what you find in the Premier League – every team's got fantastic attacking players, so it's always a challenge for me," he said.

"It's going to be the same on Tuesday because they're top and they've scored plenty of goals, so we will have to be at our best to stop them."

Costa has scored 17 league goals this term, but hasn't found the net in his last five top-flight outings.

Stephens is still expecting a tough afternoon.

"That's why I play football because you want to test yourself against the best players and obviously Costa's a player that likes a battle and has been very successful in England," he said.

"It's going to be a really good battle, but it's one I'm looking forward to and hopefully I come out on top."

The centre-back is planning on disrupting the Spain forward's rhythm.

"Obviously strikers try and make defenders' lives difficult, but we've got to do the same and stop them performing at their best," he said.

"There's different ways of doing that with different players but he'll be up for the battle because he loves that side of the game, so it's important I'm ready for that and I'm up for it."