Tottenham Can Make Chelsea Mortal Again

Mauricio Pochettino and Tottenham have a chance on Wednesday to once again bring the Premier League leaders back down to earth.

The first chance this season came in October when Tottenham hosted Pep Guardiola’s high-flying Manchester City. The visitors were on a exceptional winning streak, having won their first six Premier League matches on the trot.

Yet Tottenham picked them apart in short order. By half-time Pochettino’s side was up 2-0, and they successfully held City’s attempt to come back in the second. Even as Spurs’ star began to rise again in recent weeks, that result remains the most memorable of the season so far.

Can the same happen against Chelsea? In broad outline, the circumstances aren’t altogether dissimilar. Chelsea, like City before them, are on a remarkable run of form, having won each and every one of their last 13 matches in the league. It’s no surprise, then, that they find themselves atop the league as the second half of the season begins.

Also like City, Chelsea are coming off a rather odd blemish. For City that came in the form of a frenetic 3-3 draw with Celtic in the Champions League just days before their trip to White Hart Lane.

While Chelsea managed to ultimately win their match against Stoke on Saturday, that result was far from guaranteed until late in the game. Mark Hughes’ side came back twice, thanks in large part to former Tottenham man Peter Crouch, who helped set up the first goal and scored the second.

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If Antonio Conte’s side gets frazzled at home by Stoke — currently 11th in the Premier League — how can they expect to handle traveling to Tottenham on Wednesday?

Before we attempt to answer that question, it’s worth noting one of the biggest criticisms of Conte’s Chelsea. Yes, the cynics admit, this is probably a great football team. Their tactics are innovative, their defense solid and both Diego Costa and Eden Hazard are enjoying a renaissance.

There’s an asterisks here though. Unlike other title contenders in the league, like City or Arsenal or Manchester United, Chelsea have not been burdened by the demands of European competition. Their woeful title defense last season saw them finish outside qualification for the Champions and Europa Leagues. Conte then came into maybe the more fortuitous of circumstances — a wildly talented team that didn’t need to be regularly rotated through a busy schedule.

The festive period changes that dynamic somewhat. While Conte’s made the changes he’s needed to make over the last few weeks to keep on winning, his relatively thin core of regular starters are in the midst of their most trying time of the season.

That they would give up two against Stoke — the first time they conceded more than once since their winning streak began — therefore shouldn’t be too shocking. Chelsea simply haven’t had to worry about multiple games over the course of one week all that much before December.

Tottenham are therefore fortunate to be meeting Chelsea again at the end of that run. They last faced off, conveniently enough, in November, right before this trying period began.

Fans won’t remember that match fondly. Despite taking an early lead thanks to Christian Eriksen and holding their own throughout the first half, Spurs couldn’t sustain that effort and Chelsea managed to pull two goals back to win. That was Chelsea at the peak of their form, and Tottenham gave them a challenge.

Now, with Chelsea looking even more vulnerable and playing away from home, Tottenham can finish the job they started in November. Tottenham’s regular starters — Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Victor Wanyama among them — have enjoyed no less rest than their Chelsea counterparts, but a continual fight in the Europa and Champions League over the last few seasons make this a matter for the course.

Next: Mauricio Pochettino Offers Thoughts on Chelsea Match

Tactics and luck will play their role, of course. It’s impossible to discount the effect of general wear however, and how this Chelsea side are at a decided disadvantage against a Tottenham side conditioned to thrive through such dense fixture lists.

Moreover, a win here would allow Tottenham to rise back into the Champions League places while also narrowing Chelsea’s sizable lead at the top. On a sheer psychological level, Spurs again have the advantage. They have plenty to gain, but not quite as much as Chelsea have to lose.