Clement: Swansea will test Tottenham's title credentials
Swansea boss Paul Clement has told Tottenham their Premier League title credentials will be tested to the limit at the Liberty Stadium.
Tottenham's weekend win at Burnley, along with a rare Chelsea slip at home to Crystal Palace, has breathed new life into a title race which appeared over.
The gap now stands at seven points and Spurs hope to reduce that deficit further at relegation-threatened Swansea on Wednesday night.
Chelsea have a tough-looking home fixture against Manchester City on the same night, and Clement believes his former club will be wary of a Spurs side who have won their last four league games.
"It is different for Tottenham this year to last," Clement said.
"They were closer last year and are further away now, but Chelsea will be looking over their shoulders.
"Tottenham have players performing to their full potential and Chelsea's result (against Palace) will have given them belief they can take the title race to the end.
"This is a game where they'll be thinking 'if we want to be champions we have to go to Swansea and win.'
"But it won't be easy for them coming here, because we really need the points as well."
Swansea are one point and one place above the relegation zone after Saturday's stalemate with Middlesbrough.
Clement admitted after the 0-0 draw that Swansea had missed the physical presence of 11-goal top scorer Fernando Llorente.
Swansea hope that Llorente's ankle injury has healed enough for him to take his place on the bench, but Jordan Ayew is set to start again as he seeks to make a greater impact than he did against Middlesbrough.
"I think we have to vary the game more," Clement said.
"When you put in a cross for someone like Llorente he can cause havoc on his own.
"With Jordan you have to get more bodies in the box to help him, and we did not really do that in the first half against Middlesbrough.
"I think you can still cross the ball, but the type of cross needs to be different.
"You cannot loop them in from deep, they have to come in a lot harder, lower and earlier, and vary the angles in terms of cut-backs.
"Tactically we have had a lot of joy doing that, the challenge is to get support up and around Jordan."
And Clement feels Tottenham's attacking approach will suit Swansea better than Middlesbrough's caution.
"It will possibly give us some chances," said Clement.
"The Middlesbrough game was a cagey one and there was a lot of tension, but this will be different.
"It will be more open and we just have to be careful not to be too open, as we are playing against a really good offensive side.
"We have to be compact and solid, but hope the spaces open up for us to create some opportunities for themselves."