Chelsea Vs Tottenham: Match Thread

[chrissivad]

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Chelsea v Tottenham

Barclays Premier League
Venue: Stamford Bridge Date: Sunday 20 September Kick-off: 1600 BST
Coverage: Full commentary BBC London 94.9, DAB & online, Live on Sky Sports, BBC Sport website, BBC Radio 5 Live, local radio & highlights on Match of the Day 2





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Capital rivals Chelsea and Tottenham go head-to-head at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon.

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Both sides have made bright starts to the current campaign and will be keen to maintain that momentum in their latest outing.
The Blues have won all five of their Premier League fixtures so far, and sit top of the table, while Spurs' 3-1 defeat to Manchester United last time out was their first setback of the season.
Carlo Ancelotti certainly seems to have eased into his role at Chelsea, with the Italian yet to taste anything other than success this term - with a 1-0 victory over Porto in the UEFA Champions League in midweek prolonging his record.
He has helped to build on the solid foundations laid by interim coach Guus Hiddink last term and has the Blues well placed for a title push.
The men from West London also continue to be an awesome proposition on home soil, going 13 games unbeaten in front of their own supporters since Arsenal took three points in November 2008.
The omens do not look good for Spurs, as they have failed to win any of their last 19 games at Stamford Bridge.
They have also failed to beat any of the 'Big Four' away from home since overcoming Liverpool at Anfield way back in 1993.
Tottenham have also kept just one clean sheet in their last 13 Premier League trips out on the road.
Harry Redknapp does, however, have a striker in Jermain Defoe who is in red-hot form, with the diminutive frontman bagging eight goals in 11 starts for Spurs since making his return to White Hart Lane from Portsmouth.
Creative blow

Chelsea could be without Portuguese playmaker Deco for the derby date this weekend.
The former Barcelona man is struggling to shake off a calf injury in time to make Ancelotti's starting XI.
Brazilian centre-half Alex is also facing a race against time to prove his fitness and he could miss out with a groin strain.
Yuri Zhirkov is the only other notable absentee, with a niggling knee problem preventing the Russian from making his full debut for the Blues.
Joe Cole is pushing for a first start of the season after returning to the bench in midweek.
Depleted defence

Tottenham continue to be depleted at the back, with a number of players yet to regain match sharpness.
Michael Dawson (Achilles) and Jonathan Woodgate (groin) have both shaken off their respective problems, but remain major doubts for Sunday.
Gareth Bale is also expected to be given more time to recover from a knee problem which has laid him low of late.
Luka Modric will also be unavailable to Redknapp after breaking his leg against Birmingham last month, but Heurelho Gomes is pushing for a starting berth after coming through a reserve outing in midweek.


PREDICTIONS:

Skysports.com prediction: 1-1

SKY BET odds: Chelsea 1/2, Draw 3/1, Spurs 6/1

One to Watch: Jermain Defoe

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BBC Preview



Chelsea's Joe Cole will not be involved as boss Carlo Ancelotti is saving him for the Carling Cup match with QPR.
Didier Drogba and Jose Bowsingwa will both return to the side after their Champions League suspensions.
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has a dilemma in goal as he has to decide between fit again Heurelho Gomes or current number one Carlo Cudicini.
Gareth Bale played 90 minutes in a friendly against QPR and is in contention for a place on the bench.
Chelsea
Suspended: None Doubtful: Alex (groin), Deco (calf)
Injured: Cole (knee), Ferreira (knee), Zhirkov (knee)
Tottenham
Suspended: None Doubtful: Bale (foot)
Injured: Dawson (Achilles), Modric (broken leg), Woodgate (groin)


MATCH PREVIEW

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Hull, Sunderland, Fulham, Burnley and Stoke - the fixture computer was certainly smiling on Chelsea when their opening matches of the season were generated this summer.



The Blues have quietly and efficiently gone about taking maximum points from those five fixtures and are just one win away from setting a new club record of 11 successive victories.



And who better to face next than Tottenham Hotspur, the team that they have more wins, more points and scored more goals against than any other in the Premier League.



However, Harry Redknapp's men are undefeated against Chelsea in their last four meetings and were the last team to beat them in the league, but that cannot cloud what a truly awful record Spurs have had against their west London rivals over the last 19 years.



That, allied with the fact they have not won away against any of the big four since 1993, means Tottenham fans are virtually resigned to missing out on three points before they even head across London.
They will be keen to lay down a marker against the Blues, after a first defeat of the season at the hands of Manchester United led to talk in the press of the Lilywhites suffering a 'reality check'. We will discover on Sunday afternoon just how strong their credentials of challenging the top four actually are.

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MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
• Chelsea are unbeaten in the last 19 home games against Spurs in the league (W13, D6)
• Chelsea have gained more wins (20), scored more goals (63) and accumulated more points (72) against Tottenham in the Premier League than any other club.
• Tottenham went an English record 32 league games without a win against Chelsea until beating them 2-1 at White Hart Lane in November 2006.
Chelsea
• Chelsea have won 10 straight Premier League matches, equalling their club record.
• Beating Spurs would surpass the previous mark set by José Mourinho's side from November 2005 to January 2006. That run was ended by a 1-1 draw with Charlton at Stamford Bridge.
• If the Blues win it would also become the joint-fourth longest winning run in Premier League history.
• Chelsea have already won three games from losing positions this season.
• The Blues are unbeaten in their last 13 Premier League matches - their last league defeat was against Tottenham Hotspur on 21 March, 1-0 at White Hart Lane.
• Chelsea could become the third team in Premier League history to win their first six matches of the season after Newcastle United in 1994-95 and themselves who won their first nine matches under Jose Mourinho in 2005-06.
Tottenham
• Spurs last won a league game at Chelsea in February 1990, when Gary Lineker scored the winner and they haven't won away at a top four side since 1993.
• Tottenham have failed to score in 15 of their 34 Premier League matches against Chelsea.
• Spurs have kept only one clean sheet in their last 13 Premier League away matches.
• The Lilywhites have not won three league games in a row away from home since December 2004.



LEADING GOALSCORERS

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Chelsea
Drogba: 4 goals (4 league); Anelka: 3 goals (2 league)

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Tottenham Hotspur
Defoe: 5 goals (5 league); Lennon: 2 goals (2 league)



Referee: Howard Webb
Assistant referees: Darren Cann & Peter Kirkup
Fourth official: Simon Bennett






Tottenham 1-0 Chelsea (21 March, 2009)
Tottenham scorer: Modric 50

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Geez's Live Media Thread

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[riggi]

Cant bloody wait, shelf upper :dance:

 

[mezza84]

Cant bloody wait, shelf upper :dance:

Same. See you there fella :hello:

 

[Green Valley]

wish i was there

 

[Rackybear]

Defoe has 5 league goals, not 4 :up:

 

[Delboy10]

coyfs!!

 

[Kyras]

I start Uni today and I'm more nervous about this game... COYS!

 

[chkthfc82]

lose today and start again next week v burnley i think.

i'm going for 2-0/3-1 chelsea

 

[MrWoolley]

Come on your bloody Spurs :-D

 

[danielneeds]

Nick a point at the bridge and we will have done a great day's work.

 

[lishiyo]

COYS!! :beer:

not too fussed about the result tbh (which could hinge on some random luck), just want to see a much improved, committed performance from us :grin:

 

[alfiespurs]

Greetinga all ! Its going to bloody hard, but I do think Chelsea will be too strong. Give me a point now and I willl be happy as larry .. but I see Chelsea winning 2 0:evil:

 

[Coyboy]

I am row 2 of lower! When Wilson scores the 96th minute winner, hopefully he will jump into the crowd!

 

[kaz Hirai]

hmm i'd be tempted to park the bus birmingham style lol

 

[milkman]

Woah! Nice work Chrissivad!


I used to make the match threads!! :lol:

 

[BringBack_leGin]

King is in so I am fairly confident. Woodgate back would have been nice because he seems to always play well v the Chavs, but with King by his side Bassong is more than good enough. Their front line will suit us because Anelka, great striker though he is, is less intimidating an opponent than Drogba and doesn't quite have the pace of old. He tends to drift out to the right a lot, especially with Chelsea's narrow formation, which means that Bassong will most likely have him to deal with and not Drogba. Anelka of course does have the guile to outsmart the still raw Bassong, but by the same token I believe that Bassongs pace will mean that he can deal with a lot of what ANelka has to throw at him. One thing we know about Anelka over the years is that if he is smothered out of a game early on, he doesn't usually come back into it.

That means that Drogba will be on King. Drogba is one striker who may actually trouble King a little because he combines the brutishness with unpredictability, but then again we all know that King has it all in his locker as a defender just as much as Drogba does as a striker. This is one of the two most important battles we'll see today and a lot will depend on this.

The second key situation will involve Palacios and Lampard. No doubt about it, Harry's nephew is a great player. He passes the ball well (an aspect of his game which used to be criticised), he is talismanic, and even in games where he seems a bit quiet he is always a goal threat. To my mind he is more likely to score today than Anelka, and that's saying something. Palacios loves to tackle as we know, but last week he perhaps seems a touch jaded. He should be fully charged up and raring to go now, and if he keeps his discipline today he could be the key to stunting Chelsea's threat. His usual game involves tackles high up the pitch as well as deep, but I think I'd like to see him man mark Lampard today. Lampard is to them what Modric is to us, an exceptionally dangerous threat from midfield, and by now we should know that he is worth special attention.

Another key battle will largely depend on who we play with Palacios. I have been lauding Huddlestone this season and fully in support of his presence in the team. I've loved his performance. Last week, however, he was made to look a mouse by Darren Fletcher. I know the situation was not helped by the midfield shape changing as a result of Modric being injured and Keane being out of position, but it was still a dreadful performance. Combine this with the fact that Jenas came on and looked our best midfielder by far and I know who I'd pick today. I personally consider Essien to be a superior player to Fletcher in almost every aspect of his game, and he does a similar job in midfield. On the basis of last week and last week alone, I do think that I'd prefer to see Jenas today. When one considers that we will also have, in all probability, Ballack and Mikel to contend with, I think that the pace and mobility of Jenas will be necessary if we are to even have a chance of utilising our biggest dangers from midfield in Lennon and (hopefully) Kranjcar.

Defoe we know will start, and whether up against Terry or Carvalho, you have to fancy him on his current form. Along with Bent and Rooney he's the hottest striker in the land at present (food for though Mr Heskey loving Italian). The question is, which partner. Keane hasn't been playing well, but we won 4 out of 5 matches so far with him as Defoe's partner. Crouch, on the other hand, may not be able to put in the leg work of Keane in between midfield and attack, but he does allow us the option of getting the ball to attack more quickly than usual if necessary. I would like to see the big guy start today, I think at present he offers more than Keane, but I could understand either. It's unfortunate that I'm not even mentioning Pavlyuchenko's name, but he hasn't played more than a few minutes for us this season. His made the winner v Birmingham, but on last weeks evidence it wasn't enough to put him in Harry's thoughts. I'd like to see him, if Crouch is preferred to Keane, come off the bench ahead of Keane if need be.

The bench is where I'd like to see things shaken up a bit today more than anything. Crouch/ Keane, Pavlyuchenko, Cudicini/ Gomes, Huddlestone are all going to be there. Of the remaining three slots, I'd rather not see two right backs again, and I'd like to see Hutton lose out. I know some people adore him, but my heart sinks whenever he plays for us. Just my opinion, but I think he's a liability. Naughton, like Hutton, gives us the option of going with more pace down the right, putting Corluka in the middle if the worst happens with King, and maybe just because I have yet to see much of him, I have confidence that he is in fact a footballer.

The other two bench slots are obviously up for grabs after Naughton gets that one. In all likelyhood it will be Hutton and Bentley, but it just doesn't sit easy with me. Giovani must be flying confidence wise right now, he has been superb for Mexico and he gives us cover across the entire attack. I hope he gets on of the two slots, I really do. Then the final slot is between Bentley, Bale and Hutton. In my mind Hutton should just no be there, so Bale or Bentley. The former is only just fit again, the latter must be devoid of confidence. If we need to bring on an attacking player, I'd reckon that Bentley would not be amongst even the first three choices to come on (as the last two matches have proved), whereas Bale at least covers both left wing and left back.

Anyway, I look like death right now and I'm being taken to the game by a rather pretty Chelsea season ticket holder so it's time to go make myself acceptable to humanity. I'll be ranting and raving with the rest of you tonight!

 

[Rocket]

Agree with pretty much all of that.

At least Lennon and Palacios should be fresher for this one and I'm sure we can cause them problems

Since their won't be much space in the middle and Lampard & Ballack need tracking, I also hope we go with JJ over Huddlestone

I suspect we'll go with Keane over Crouch as support striker to stifle their 3 man midfield a bit more, but I'm worried about RK slowing down our counter attacks and having no target up front. Cashley, is looking very good at the moment so we can't rely on Lennon to be our normal outlet..

With Bosinga bombing forward I hope we give Krancjar a start as I think he'll help keep our shape

I'd fancy Pav or Dos Santos to do something coming off the bench. Both have been linked with the Chavs and would add a bit of unpredictability. I'd also drop either Naughton or Hutton from the bench (probably Hutton) as Hudd can cover CB in an emergency and we'll need as many attacking options as poss

Like Alfie said, I'd be very happy with a point.

 

[doubledecker]

I agree with pretty much all LeGin has to say but I dont see HR leaving " first name on the teamsheet " Robbie on the bench. I just hope that he will not make the mistake again of playing him LM because if he does my estimate of a 40% chance of us getting at least a point and 15% chance of winning will each go down by half.

In the absence of Luka we really do need someone who can provide a spark of genius and Gio must surely be preferred on the bench to the hapless Bentley ?

Gomes, Corluka, King, Bassong, BAE, Lennon, Jenas, Palacios, Krankijar, Keane, Defoe

Cudi, Naughton, Hudd, Bale, Gio, Crouch, Pav on the bench for me.

 

[Bill_Oddie]

At the risk of being decried as a Bolshevik, Chelsea really are very, very good. Especially at home. Plus, they're hurting and want revenge after our win at the Lane last time round. I reckon they'd beat most in current form, so no matter our performance we'll struggle.

Pray I'm wrong, though. Almost as much as I'm praying "England's bestest ref" doesn't decide to put himself in the spotlight as bloody usual with a random peculiar decision that decides the game.

EDIT: I'm actually wondering whether this isn't the type of game where we see all four of our strikers playing together, even if only for the last 10-15 minutes while we're chasing the game. That'd surely be some sight.

 

[Lanh]

Triggers are active.

BBLG Mate that was an EPIC post. I'm in awe right now. :up: