Tottenham vs. Chelsea: Blues are ripe for the picking
By Gary Pearson
In Tottenham’s first “home” match of the season on Sunday, Spurs welcome a depleted Chelsea side who is seemingly ripe for the picking.
Antonio Conte’s men endured a nightmare start to their title-defending campaign, as the Blues lost to a Burnley side who only picked up one win on their travels last season. Club captain Gary Cahill and Cesc Fabregas were sent off in their opening day defeat, compounding the West Londoners’ early season headaches.
Chelsea’s depleted squad
Consequently, both are suspended for the match on Sunday. Chelsea might also be without Eden Hazard and Tiemoue Bakayoko while Pedro isn’t available. Hazard and Bakayoko played in a closed-door friendly against a QPR youth side and will face late fitness tests.
And there’s Diego Costa, who will watch the match from the comfort of his sofa after receiving a text message from Conte notifying him that his services are no longer required at Chelsea Football Club.
None of Conte’s roster conundrums mean anything unless Spurs take full advantage of their bitter rivals’ skeleton crew.
Andreas Christensen, who has been on loan with Borussia Monchengladbach for two seasons, is expected to slot into central defence in Cahill’s absence. While the 21-year-old impressed in his 82 Bundesliga appearances, he has never played at England’s national stadium against last season’s most potent Premier League attack.
Tottenham will do well to test the impressionable youngster early and often. Harry Kane will be licking his chops at the prospect of pitting wits against such an inexperienced center back, no matter how highly he’s touted.
Tottenham’s first Premier League Wembley match
Mauricio Pochettino, in 13 matches, has never lost a home London derby. I guess his streak is on the line come Sunday.
Or is it?
While Spurs supporters don’t consider Wembley as their home – which it definitely is not – the team and supporters must come to terms and bury the hatchet with the club’s unenviable position, and quickly.
After that caveat I suppose we’ll have to consider all current Tottenham home streaks and records on the table.
That includes the club’s 14-match home winning streak going back to Oct. 29, 2016, when Leicester left White Hart Lane with a single point. Spurs didn’t lose a match last season at White Hart Lane and haven’t been defeated at home in 15 months.
If Pochettino’s men can display a semblance of that invincible form, Spurs are in with a great shot at the 2017-18 Premier League title. A lot has been made of the club’s Wembley torment but Spurs performance against Juventus, albeit in a meaningless pre-season match, helped temporarily hold the ravenous critics at bay.
Another excellent display against one of their biggest rivals, and Premier League defending champions, will completely silence the critics, at least for another week.
Victor Wanyama is fully fit and will start in midfield if Pochettino reverts back to his preferred 3-4-2-1 system. Eric Dier will resume his position beside Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen in the heart of defence.
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Things didn’t go according to plan the last time these two outfits battled it out against at Wembley, with Tottenham losing 4-2 in last season’s FA Cup semifinal. While that particular wound hasn’t quite healed over, two of Chelsea’s goal scorers from that fateful day – Hazard and Nemanja Matic – won’t be in Chelsea’s lineup on Sunday afternoon.
Sunday’s narrative is perfectly poised for Spurs to put the ghosts of Wembley past behind them while picking up three points against a team they have every intention of dethroning on route to Premier League glory.