Tottenham vs Chelsea – Match Preview
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It seems like we are never far away from a London derby in the Premier League and this weekend is certainly no different. Not only that, but the stakes will be incredibly high at Wembley as Tottenham play host to Chelsea.
Both teams are just on the fringes of the title race and will be looking to make sure they do not concede any further ground to the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool. At least one team will have to drop points come Saturday evening, the question though is who.
Tottenham come into the game after the international break having beaten Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park by one goal to nil. Argentine defender Juan Foyth was perhaps the unlikely hero as his second half header secured all three points.
The history books may point to him as the winner, however a lot of credit must go to Hugo Lloris. The French international made a number of important saves late on to make sure that Spurs withstood the barrage thrown at them, something that enabled them to leave Selhurst Park with all three points.
While Chelsea’s last league outing was a stalemate at Stamford Bridge as they were held at home by Everton. Maurizio Sarri’s men had a largely frustrating afternoon in front of their own fans, as the Toffees stifled the Blues’ attacking efforts.
There was perhaps an element of Europa League fatigue, but at the same time that statement would be doing something of a disservice to Everton, as it is fair to say that as Marco Silva got his tactics spot on for this particular clash.
Many teams try to foil Eden Hazard, a plan that more often than not will fail. However, Everton were a lot smarter. Instead they looked to suffocate the service that Jorginho supplies from the centre of the park.
Without Chelsea’s midfield metronome ticking to his usual rhythm, it meant that the likes of Alvaro Morata and Eden Hazard were not presented with their supply line of chances. Something that meant that it was ultimately a frustrating afternoon for Chelsea.
The fact that this upcoming clash is being played at Wembley may arguably give Chelsea more of a boost than the hosts Tottenham. Last season Marcos Alonso scored twice here in a 2-1 win to give the Blues all three points.
At the same time though Tottenham outclassed Chelsea on their own turf last season with a fantastic 3-1 win. A result that all but secured their entry to the current edition of the Champions League.
An entry that came at the expense of the Blues who stuttered to the end of the reign of Antonio Conte. That said, they look a much different beast under Maurizio Sarri and they will undoubtedly cause Tottenham trouble this weekend.
Mauricio Pochettino’s men have been winning ugly as of late, but it has been against teams in the lower reaches of the table. They have arguably found their level when up against Manchester City and Liverpool.
This will be the real acid test as to where Tottenham will find themselves at the end of the campaign, there’s very little to split these two teams and with that in mind it could well end up being honours even this weekend.
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