The Premier League returns on Saturday after the international break with a mouthwatering London derby between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea.
After hosting England’s superb victory over Croatia on Sunday, Wembley Stadium could be the site of another thriller as the Blues look to keep their unbeaten start to the season intact.
Tottenham have used more players than any other Premier League side this season as Mauricio Pochettino is still looking for his strongest eleven. Spurs have not been performing above expectation so far but have managed to grind out results, winning nine of their first 12 games, leaving them fourth in the Premier League table. Seven of those wins have come away from Wembley, giving the North London club the best away record of any side in the league.
Before the international break, Tottenham managed to narrowly defeat Crystal Palace, and were good value for the victory despite allowing Palace to come close occasionally. This means that the North London side now sit on 27 points, and is in fact the club’s fourth best-ever points total at this stage of a season which demonstrates their ability to win matches despite not performing to their best ability.
This is the first time in the Premier League that four teams have 27+ points after 12 games which also highlights the strength of the top sides. So despite the talk of Tottenham underperforming, they have been performing amicably.
When analysing Chelsea, Maurizio Sarri has delivered a new style of play to the West London club this season, and the Blues have made 8,706 passes so far – averaging 67.8 per cent possession which is impressive figure.
In game week 12, Chelsea struggled to break down a resilient Everton side at home and could only manage a draw, but the Blues created the clearer chances, and were a little unfortunate not to grab all three points. On another day, it is highly likely they would have finished one of the chances they created, but it wasn’t a vintage performance and they will need to be better at Wembley to come away with all three points.
Sarri is now unbeaten in his first 12 matches as a Premier League manager, meaning the Italian has equaled the Premier League record for the most matches unbeaten for a debuting manager in the league. The former champions have been excellent to watch at times this season and it seems the Everton blip might even spur them on further. Eden Hazard and Ross Barkley have been two players to benefit from the managerial change, and the Blues now look much more solid all over the field with a strong balance to the team.
The former Napoli manager has drilled a possession-based style since his arrival from Italy and has focused on swift passing and ball retention, which is a style bettors should expect to continue this weekend.
Saturday’s game is an important match for both sides. 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.
Kane has five goals in his last six outings for club and country. The last Premier League strike against Chelsea came back in May 2016, and he may feel he’s overdue a goal against the Blues.
Sarri will be looking to Alvaro Morata to trouble the Spurs defence on Saturday having netted three in three preceding the Everton game.
After starting the season in blistering fashion, Eden Hazard’s goals have dried up of late. He last found the net against Southampton on October 7.
If the Belgium international and Morata can’t rediscover their scoring form against Spurs, the north Londoners will have a terrific chance of claiming a win that would propel them back into the title race.
The rivals have met 52 times in the Premier League, with Chelsea winning 27 times, Tottenham just six, and the sides sharing 19 draws.
But the good news for Spurs fans is that two of those wins have come in the past five meetings, with the north Londoners beating Chelsea 3-1.
Elsewhere, League leaders Manchester City are also in action on Saturday, away at West Ham United, while Arsenal faces a trip to Bournemouth on Sunday.
Manchester United will be aiming to bounce back from defeat in the Manchester derby last time out when they take on Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Manager Jose Mourinho may have to make do without some key attackers. Striker Romelu Lukaku did not travel with the Belgium squad to Switzerland due to injury.
