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It’s a Premier League blockbuster as London rivals Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur face off at Stamford Bridge. Join The Roar live from 4:30am for live scores and a blog of what is sure to be an absorbing encounter.
Since Chelsea’s embarrassing defeat to Arsenal in late September, they have transformed their fortunes with six straight victories in the league which has taken them to the top of the table. Incredibly, Antonio Conte’s side have achieved this while also having not conceded a single goal in that time.
Their reversal of form, in many ways, can be attributed to Conte’s astute switch in formation to play to the strengths of his players. His change into a 3-4-3 setup has resulted in handsome rewards for the manager with the London outfit now looking more stable in defence, while Eden Hazard has been given license to roam free in attack. The goals have been flowing with Chelsea having recorded 1-0, 2-0, 3-0, 4-0, 5-0, and 6-0 results in their past six league fixtures.
Meanwhile, at White Hart Lane, Tottenham have kept their defence tight too so far this season but they have struggled in attack. Their woes in front of goal have been put down to the loss of star striker Harry Kane during the early parts of the season. Now that he has returned though there can be no excuses and Maurico Pochettino will be expecting his team to turn it around.
On Tuesday his side were kicked out of the Champions League after a loss to French side Monaco. Kane got on the scoresheet, continuing his good run since his return, but it wasn’t enough as they went down 2-1. The hopes for a simple game to regain some confidence after the elimination hasn’t been granted, with a third successive London derby for Spurs now in the offing. They will need to improve significantly if they are to have any chance against the league leaders.
Conte has named the same unchanged side for his last five matches, and with a win against Spurs they will remain at the top of the table, while extending their lead over their rivals to seven points already. While Pochettino’s men are the only remaining unbeaten team in the league this season, there have been far too many draws in that sequence that has seen them slip off the pace slightly. However, the fact that they have won once in their last nine games means they have done well to still only be a few points off the top.
Diego Costa poses the most danger to the Spurs backline as currently he just can’t seem to stop scoring. The reining in of his volatile side in favour of complete concentration to his team’s cause has seen him return to his devastating best. Pochettino rested the majority of his defence midweek, clearly with an eye on this fixture, so the returning Jan Vertoghen and Danny Rose should be ready.
Can Chelsea continue their surge while showcasing their title credentials or will Tottenham bounce back from their recent slump with a second successive win in the league?
Prediction
On their impressive run, no side has really looked like they could handle Chelsea when they’ve kicked into gear. Couple that with their currently rock-solid defence and they are a difficult side to draw up a game plan for. They have the confidence and momentum leading into this derby, and this should see them take the points against Tottenham.
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