Three reasons Tottenham’s match against Blues will be different

Tottenham play Chelsea for the third time in less than three weeks on Sunday and there’s resounding optimism this time will be different.

Spurs were played off the park in both legs of the Carabao Cup semifinal, losing 3-0 on aggregate. I’m not going to harp on, or remind everyone about what transpired in that disappointing two-legged loss.

Instead I’m going to focus on why things feel different in the lead up to this weekend’s colossal Premier League tilt.

3. Chelsea’s recent unease

Chelsea, aside from their recent success against Spurs, have struggled of late. The Blues are winless in four Premier League encounters, a stint that includes a loss (1-0 to Manchester City) and three draws (two against Brighton and a 2-2 result vs the Reds). Thomas Tuchel’s side haven’t won a Premier League match this year. That’s one of the most rewarding sentences I’ve written in recent memory.

Begrudgingly and regrettably, Chelsea’s only wins in 2022 have come against our beloved Spurs. Based on recent history, including the last two fixtures between London rivals, it would be logical to conclude Chelsea will inflict further misery on Tottenham. The Lilywhites haven’t beaten Chelsea in the Premier League since November 2018, a run of six matches.

This time still feels different, though. And streaks have to come to an end at some point.