Although Tottenham Hotspur cannot afford to take their eye off the prize these next two Premier League matches against two very good teams in Everton and Newcastle, when a fixture as big as a rivalry matchup against Chelsea looms ahead, there's always one eye kept closely peeled to that game.
Tottenham are not ready for a star-studded team like Chelsea, even if they historically play better against the top Premier League clubs than the lesser ones. But since they are struggling to put away teams like Wolves and Bodo Glimt, Chelsea is going to be a massive test for them on Nov. 1 next weekend.
Maresca said, via Fabrizio Romano, “Liam Delap won’t be available for tomorrow game, but the next one yes."
Liam Delap will be ready for Tottenham vs. Chelsea
Chelsea's next game is against Sunderland this weekend in the Premier League, and then they will play Wolves at mid-week in the League Cup. So you have to figure that if Delap returns to get some game action against Wolves, he will be fully tuned up for the start against Tottenham next Saturday.
What makes this all even worse for Tottenham is that their own superstar center back Cristian Romero is now questionable for that game. He could return from his injury by then, but Romero has been a huge loss in two putrid performances against Aston Villa and Monaco.
Delap's return is a development that can't be underestimated in importance for Chelsea. The young No. 9 is a well-rounded player who opens up the entire attack for the Blues, allowing Joao Pedro to play as more of a half nine or 10, partnering up with Delap in the hole behind him and focusing more on creating and dropping off than being a focal point.
The Tottenham defense is strong on paper with Kevin Danso next to Micky van de Ven, but, in practice, it's just not the same without Romero. And with Chelsea more dangerous when Delap is starting at striker, this Nov. 1 rivalr battle in London just got more difficult for Spurs.
Delap is one of the best young strikers in the Premier League, and he brings a real anchoring point and a goal threat to the Blues attack under Enzo Maresca that the entire world got to see en route to their immediate success in the Club World Cup this summer. Tottenham have just been put on notice with this latest development on the Delap front, and that negates a lot of the benefits of the Cole Palmer injury.