The Premier League returns after the international break with a cracking London derby on Saturday as unbeaten Chelsea face in-form Tottenham at Wembley Stadium.
This is an important match for both sides as a win for Spurs would see them leapfrog the Blues in the table, while a Chelsea victory would move them four points clear of Mauricio Pochettino’s men.
Can Chelsea maintain their unbeaten streak? Will Spurs leapfrog the Blues in the table? Our Editor gives his verdict.
To Win
Tottenham 17/10
Draw 5/2
Chelsea 31/20
Tottenham
Tottenham will look to make a statement this weekend and put an end to Chelsea’s unbeaten streak. Pochettino’s side sit just a point behind the Blues in the standings and should they hand Maurizio Sarri’s team their first defeat of the season, Spurs will leapfrog their London rivals into third place in the table.
Spurs come into this match riding a four-match winning streak in all competitions. They bounced back from their 1-0 loss against Manchester City last month by comfortably seeing off West Ham 3-1 in the Carabao Cup. That was followed up with a 3-2 win away to Wolves in the Premier League. Pochettino’s side then claimed a vital 2-1 victory over PSV in the Champions League, before grinding out a 1-0 league win at Crystal Palace.
Spurs will be aiming to continue where they left off before the international break but it’s going to be very tough stopping this Chelsea side. The Blues won this fixture 2-1 last season, courtesy of a brace from Marcos Alonso. Pochettino will have to come up with a plan to stop the Spaniard from offering the sort of threat that saw him come close to breaking the deadlock several times against Everton in Chelsea’s last match.
Captain Harry Kane comes into the game fresh from leading England to the semi-finals of the UEFA Nations League with a match-winning goal against Croatia. The 25-year-old will be hoping to fire Spurs to victory on Saturday and add to his tally of six Premier League goals.
In team news, Colombian defender Davinson Sanchez and English full-backs Danny Rose and Kieran Trippier are slight injury doubts, while Belgium duo Jan Vertonghen and Mousa Dembele look set to miss.
Chelsea
Chelsea have been brilliant this season and have taken 13 points from 15 in their away matches, scoring 12 goals while conceding just once. Sarri’s side will certainly be tested when they head to Wembley for this intriguing London derby against a Tottenham side who sit just a point behind them in the standings at this stage. And the result of this game will influence if the Blues stay in the race for the title or if they cede early season momentum to Manchester City and Liverpool.
After dropping two points against Everton last time out, the Blues will be eager to get back to winning ways and move four points clear of Spurs. Pochettino’s side have already suffered three defeats – against Liverpool, Barcelona and Manchester City – at Wembley this season and Sarri’s side will fancy their chances of leaving with maximum points.
With Eden Hazard in their team, Chelsea fans have every right to feel confident of winning when he is on the pitch. The Belgian superstar, now arguably the world’s best footballer, doesn’t need an invitation to perform in these sort of games. He has the ability to put the team on his back and win games single-handedly. Hazard has netted seven goals in the Premier League so far this season, just one behind top scorer Sergio Aguero.
Sarri will be sweating on the fitness of loan star Mateo Kovacic. The Croatian midfielder remains a doubt with a minor muscle injury and should he miss out, Ross Barkley should prove a more than able replacement.
Probable line-ups:
Tottenham: 4-2-3-1
Lloris; Trippier, Alderweireld, Sanchez, Davies; Wanyama, Dier; Alli, Eriksen, Moura; Kane.
Chelsea: 4-3-3
Kepa; Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Luiz, Alonso; Jorginho, Kante, Kovacic; Willian, Morata, Hazard.
Prediction: Hazard to Score Anytime & Chelsea Win (3/1)
I’m expecting an attacking game of football and while I think it will be very close, I’m backing Chelsea to come out on top. I’m going to get on the Hollywoodbets Price Boost and back Hazard to Score Anytime & Chelsea to Win.
Chadley Nagel
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