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Three Keys to Victory in Tottenham Hotspur Against Chelsea

By Aaron Coe

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 29: Erik Lamela of Tottenham Hotspur is challenged by Emerson Palmieri and N'Golo Kante of Chelsea during the Carabao Cup fourth round match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on September 29, 2020 in London, England. Football Stadiums around United Kingdom remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Matt Dunham - Pool/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 29: Erik Lamela of Tottenham Hotspur is challenged by Emerson Palmieri and N'Golo Kante of Chelsea during the Carabao Cup fourth round match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on September 29, 2020 in London, England. Football Stadiums around United Kingdom remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Matt Dunham - Pool/Getty Images) /
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Tottenham Hotspur travel to Stamford Bridge Sunday evening to take on Chelsea, here are three key elements that will go a long way in determining the outcome.

There are a lot of variables in a football match, especially when the game is an emotionally filled derby like we will see Sunday when Chelsea host Tottenham Hotspur. Regardless of that emotion, it is still a football match and as such, there are a few critical factors that will play a major part in determining the outcome of the match. From a Spurs perspective the three main things to think about are N’golo Kante, the coaching match-up, and of course Toby Alderweireld’s absence.

How Tottenham Replace Toby

When Tottenham Hotspur face Chelsea Sunday, it will be their first Premier League it will be the first this season without Toby Alderweireld in the side. While the Belgian did sit for three matches, he has been a consistent part of the team. That is likely to change Sunday as Alderweireld is out for a few weeks with a groin injury.

Tottenham had no problems with the center back position midweek, however Chelsea are a major step up from Ludogorets. How Spurs cope defensively without the steadiness of the Belgian facing a dynamic attack like Chelsea is a big question mark. The safest play would be Davinson Sanchez who has the most experience, but there have been many indications that Joe Rodon may get his first Tottenham and Premier League start next Eric Dier.

Chelsea have a very free flowing a multi-faceted attack that can beat you outside in or inside out. Maintaining positional discipline and doing the safe thing defensively will be the order of the day. With the idea of safety first in mind, it could be Rodon, who is the more like-for-like of the two options. Eric Dier will be the partner of whoever plays as the other center back and will be expected to be the leader in the back.

Of course, we could get a curve ball and see both Rodon and Sanchez with Jose Mourinho opting for an alternative formation. The idea of an alternative formation leads us to our second key factor in the match, the coaching match-up.

José v Frank

HotspurHQ covered how this match-up may have more personal meeting for José than he is letting on in facing Lampard – I mean Frank – so we will not rehash that here. However, the match-up between the two is critical in that these are two thinking coaches who bring it tactically. The manager who throws the first curve ball and coach who reacts best may have a major impact on the outcome of this match.

In four meetings against a Frank Lampard coached team, Jose Mourinho has used four different formations. When Spurs faced Chelsea earlier this season in the Carabao Cup Mourinho went with a 3-5-2 formation. In the two losses last season José used a 4-3-3 and a 5-4-1. Of course, the 5-4-1 was more of a forced hand with the injuries Spurs were facing at the time but was still a formation out of the norm.

Even if the formation is not changed, look for some tactical curveball in how Chelsea defend Kane or how Spurs deploy their full backs. The point is, we do not know yet what those tweaks are going to be, but both José and Frank have an idea and the manager that does the best job pulling the strings is going to go a long way toward helping their team win.

N’Golo Kante vs Spurs Creative Engine

N’Golo Kante is always at the center of things for Chelsea, whether scoring a late goal or more often winning possession N’Golo Kante is the Chelsea version of Pierre Højbjerg. Or maybe given he came first, Højbjerg is the Tottenham version of Kante. Either way, much of the positive trust that occurs for both teams starts with these ball winning midfielders.

Having a player like N’Golo Kante gives Frank Lampard a lot of options and how he uses those options to nullify Spurs creativity in attack is important. We know that two main players make Tottenham go in the attacking third, Harry Kane and whoever is playing attacking midfield with him. With the amount Kane has been dropping deep to receive possession and create offense teams have had to account for two players in the attacking hole and simply have not had an answer. N’Golo Kante is a different kind of answer.

Kante covers ground at an incredible rate and rarely allows the opposition time to dwell on the ball. What help the Frenchman has in trying to handle the one-two punch of Kane and likely Tanguy Ndombele will determine the flow of the game. Teams have struggled to pick up Kane, but Lampard can let Kane drop and rely on Kante to not let him run free. This keeps the defense in position and prevents the ball over the top.

Tottenham are going to have to work to both outnumber and move Kante out of the middle of the park. When Pochettino was Spurs coach, he would often use Eriksen to do this, by taking him from the middle and pushing to one touchline or the other. Because Eriksen was so dangerous with the ball, the midfielder had to go with him. We have not seen a ton of Kane in wide areas this season, so that likely is not the answer.

Tottenham will use the forward and back movement of Kane and Ndombele to move Kante off his line vertically rather than horizontally that Spurs will be counting on. The point is not to get Kante out of the middle as much as off his line in front of the backs. Whether the space is created by moving Kante wider or higher, the point is to make the space. It is that space between Kante and the backs where Tottenham can make hay and if Kane or Ndombele or Lo Celso or even Dele can get in that hole, Chelsea are in for a long day and Kante will have been nullified.

Expect a physical and close game Sunday evening. However, if Tottenham can overcome the loss of Toby Alderweireld, can move N’Golo Kante off his line, and help José get one over on Frank, thank Spurs can win the game.