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.
Mark Molyneux
Roar Guru
Conte bounds onto the pitch like a proud parent and embraces his players. Chelsea were as impressive in the second half as they were poor in the first. Spurs started brightly and took the lead through a wonder strike from Eriksen early on, but the reply from Pedro right on half time was equally as brilliant. That and the half time talk with Conte, which was sure to be frosty, saw a rejuvenated Chelsea in the second period absolutely boss their London rivals. Chelsea 2- 1 Tottenham
Mark Molyneux
Roar Guru
Full time! That's it, Chelsea have come from behind to keep their streak going, while they consign Spurs to their first defeat of the season.
Mark Molyneux
Roar Guru
92: Two on two as Costa breaks with Oscar central. His ball can't find his team mate though and the chance goes. Conte urges the crowd to will their team onto the final whistle, Pochettino flicks him a brief unimpressed glance.
Mark Molyneux
Roar Guru
Three minutes added time. Chelsea 2- 1 Tottenham
Mark Molyneux
Roar Guru
89: Chance! A lovely flick to Alonso in a tight situation gives Willian a shot in the box, but it goes well over the crossbar.
Mark Molyneux
Roar Guru
87: Oscar down after taking a stray boot from Walker in a 50/50 challenge. Conte and Pochettino share a few words on the touchline but actually looked to be in agreement.
Mark Molyneux
Roar Guru
85: Five minutes left. Willian goes into the book for a foul on Winks. He really has been tearing around since he came on. Meanwhile, the positive Nkoudou tries a shot from inside the box. The angle was too tight to beat Coutois Chelsea 2- 1 Tottenham
Mark Molyneux
Roar Guru
82: Rare appearance for Oscar who replaces the other Chelsea goal scorer this evening, Pedro. He deserves the early rest after that goal. Spurs bring on Janssen for Dembele.
Mark Molyneux
Roar Guru
81: Who then gets turned by Kane like he was a lamppost.
Mark Molyneux
Roar Guru
79: Spurs win a rare corner, but it is easily dealt with by Costa. Willian tearing around the field like he's had a packet of smarties before coming on. Meanwhile, goal scorer Victor Moses is replaced by Ivanovic.
Mark Molyneux
Roar Guru
78: Approaching the final ten minutes at the Bridge, is Spurs unbeaten record in the league going to come to an end? Chelsea 2- 1 Tottenham
Mark Molyneux
Roar Guru
76: Hazard goes off for the returning Willian. Before that Costa just missed a chance after the ball evaded him when Alonso whipped in a great cross from the left hand side.
Mark Molyneux
Roar Guru
75: Pictures of the injured John Terry show him watching Conte out the corner of his eye as he prowls down the touchline. Even the former England captain looks wary of him.
Mark Molyneux
Roar Guru
72: Substitution- Alli goes off for Nkoudou. Chelsea 2- 1 Tottenham
Mark Molyneux
Roar Guru
71: It's lucky the flag has gone up, because Alli is played through and absolutely shanks his shot with just the keeper to beat. On replays, the youngster was actually onside. I don't think that will make him feel any better though.
Mark Molyneux
Roar Guru
70: Costa has been involved in 14 goals now this season, which is the most of any player. His assist to Moses brought his tally to four, while he also has netted 10 goals himself.
Mark Molyneux
Roar Guru
68: Costa goes down after having his shirt pulled. Hazard whips in the free kick from the left, but Luiz just cant beat his marker to the ball. Chelsea 2- 1 Tottenham
Mark Molyneux
Roar Guru
65: Harry Winks comes on for Son who has been quiet tonight. Pochettino looking to wrestle back control of that midfield. The youngster will play down the middle, as Alli has been moved to the left.
Mark Molyneux
Roar Guru
63: Chelsea's' response to going 1-0 down initially wasn't great. But they dragged their way back into it through Pedro's individual piece of brilliance. Since then, they have thoroughly looked like the team that has won their last six matches.
Mark Molyneux
Roar Guru
59: That Pedro goal is looking like an absolute momentum shifter now. The play has all been with Chelsea since the second half began.