- Oct 17, 2006
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SPURS 0-1 CHELSEA
Jorginho
Jorginho
Spurs: Lloris (c), Aurier, Alderweireld, Dier, Davies, Hojbjerg, Sissoko, Ndombele (Lamela), Bergwijn (Lucas), Son, Vinicius.
Subs: Hart, Doherty, Rodon, Sanchez, Tanganga, Winks, Bale.
Chelsea:
Official Site Match Centre
Three changes from Sunday's defeat at Brighton, with Aurier, Dier and Vinicius coming in for Sanchez, Rodon and Bale. It's a first Premier League start for striker Vinicius.
REFEREE: ------------ Andre Mariner ???????
TEAM FORM: ------- Spurs - DWWLL ------- Chelsea - WLWDW --------- (All competitions)
Jose and Thomas Tuchel face off in the dugout for the first time ever as we welcome Chelsea to North London for a tantalising capital derby on Thursday evening. Both of us have been in the title conversation during the 2020-21 campaign, but we both are now seemingly focused on our top four prospects rather than an audacious bid for Premier League glory. Hardly anything can separate us in the table ahead of this London derby, with us at the moment at 7th with a game in hand and Chelsea at 8th where we both have 33 points.
Losing the indispensable Kane to injury would hamper almost any team on the planet right now, but even the most impassioned of us Tottenham supporters could hardly have imagined ourr side being nullified by a Brighton & Hove Albion team fighting to avoid the drop. However, we have witnessed back-to-back Premier League defeats for the second time in the space of two months as Leandro Trossard bagged bagged the all-important winner for the Seagulls in a 1-0 - a result which overjoyed Graham Potter and left us ruing the absence of Kane. The England captain had been forced off with injuries to both ankles during our 1-3 defeat to Liverpool on January 28, and while there is never any shame in losing to the reigning champions, our best opportunity to overcome Klopps’s s side - who ended a five-game winless run in the top flight with that victory - may have passed us by. But obviously the pain has been lessened in the fact that Brighton has done to them Liverpool what they did to us, especially as it was done at Anfield.
In my opinion which is shared by others, a Dominant FA Cup victories over Marine and Wycombe Wanderers since the turn of the year have done little more than paper over the cracks for us, and while we also have an EFL Cup final with Manchester City to look forward to in April, we are at risk of being blown away by our unless a major turnaround in fortunes takes place. It is not all doom and gloom for us though, as a top-four spot is still very much up for grabs - with Leicester City currently nine points clear - and we have two games in hand over all the teams above us except the Leaders Man City where we have only one game in hand. With sixth placed Everton beating Leeds, a crucial win for us here would see us rise above them.
On an individual level, Mourinho could set a couple of unwanted records with a less-than-satisfactory result this week. Jose has never lost successive home matches in the Premier League, and having failed to come up trumps against Chelsea in his last six attempts, he could match his longest ever winless run against an opponent - seven versus Barcelona between April 2011 and January 2012. Despite failing to keep a clean sheet in any of our last five matches across all competitions, only Man City (13) and Arsenal (22) have shipped fewer top-flight goals than us (21) this term, but with only two wins from our previous nine in the Premier League, we must find an effective solution to Kane's absence, and fast. Kane is reportedly hopeful that he can return to action in time to face leaders Man City on February 13, but with our talismanic striker still in the infirmary at this moment, we would do well to become the first team to breach Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea defence.
On a day where his former side Paris Saint-Germain lost for the first time under Poch, Tuchel claimed his first victory in the Chelsea dugout as a professional performance helped see off a dogged Burnley at Stamford Bridge. With the Blues' attacking contingent flattering to deceive this term, the goals came from unlikely sources in Azpilicueta and Alonso, as the former hammered home in the first half before his compatriot - who previously did not appear to have a future at Chelsea - wrapped up the win with a delightful volley in the second 45. During the Lampard era, Reece James and Ben Chilwell were often two of the first names on the teamsheet, but the up-and-coming Englishmen certainly have their work cut out for them if they are to displace old boys Azpilicueta and Alonso, who immediately repaid the faith shown in them by the charismatic Tuchel. A goalless stalemate with a below-par Wolverhampton Wanderers side was hardly the best way to kick off a career in the unforgiving Stamford Bridge hotseat, but having guided Chelsea to their first victory since taking over, Tuchel will not even take one glance over his shoulder as the race for a top-four finish gathers pace. However, the true test of character begins now for Tuchel, as he gears up for his first away outing with Chelsea, who lost four of their last five on the road under Lampard before the club legend was controversially sacked. As is the case with us, Chelsea have already secured nine wins and played out six draws in the 2020-21 Premier League campaign, but an added defeat as well as an inferior goal difference means that they sit behind their us ahead of this game, and the chasing pack are not too far behind either. Everton are currently three points ahead of both of us, while Villa and Arsenal are only one and two behind us respectively, so whichever team fails to take maximum points from this encounter could find themselves drifting ever closer towards the bottom half, and a draw would hardly be the best result for both managers either.
While the records show that Mourinho’s season is not one to boast about, Tuchel could become the first Chelsea boss since 2004 to keep clean sheets in his first three matches in charge - a feat which was last achieved by the ever-controversial Mourinho. The first meeting between these two sides in the 2020-21 top-flight campaign did not live up to the hype as it finished goalless at Stamford Bridge, but we have already overcome the Blues on penalties in the EFL Cup this term.
As mentioned, Kane will be sidelined for another couple of weeks with the ankle problems he sustained against Liverpool, and Dele also remains on the sidelines with a tendon injury. However, whether or not Alli would have been in contention for a start if fully fit is another question entirely, but he will certainly hope to get more of a look-in after links with Paris Saint-Germain in the January window ended up going nowhere. The rejuvenated Ndombele was forced off through injury against Brighton and is therefore doubtful heading into this one, while Reguilon and Lo Celso are definitely out. Aurier allegedly stormed out of the stadium after being substituted at half time in the defeat to Liverpool, and with his involvement in this game uncertain, Doherty - who has previously thrived as a wing-back with Wolverhampton Wanderers - could return to the fold. Bale’s performance against Brighton came under scrutiny as he was hauled off just after the hour mark, and it would not be a surprise to see Mourinho place his faith in Vinicius for this mouthwatering battle as he seems to be running out of credible options..
In complete contrast, Chelsea - aside from very minor concerns over Zivech’s fitness fitness - are well-stocked for the first derby of the Tuchel era, although Zouma and Havertz have recently emerged as injury doubts too. The German explained that Ziyech's absence at the weekend was simply down to him needing a rest, so he should be fine for this encounter, while Kante has also fully recovered from a hamstring problem and could earn a start in midfield. Tuchel is spoiled for choice at the moment but is expected to keep faith in the majority of the team that dispatched Burnley at the weekend, meaning back-to-back starts out wide for Alonso and Hudosn-Odoi. Pulisic will hope to earn a start after coming off the bench to assist Alonso's spectacular second last time out, but Havertz will likely have to make do with a place among the substitutes once more if he is passed fit.
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