The most important game of the week is going down tonight, as Spurs face Chelsea: a London Derby of two faces. The two sides have been in opposing forms of late, with Spurs yet to lose a game this season. Chelsea, on the other hand, have only won three of their first 10 matches, losing four in the process. This is an especially important match for Spurs, who can top the league with a win, overtaking Manchester City. Postecoglu’s side have been in fine form so far, as the lack of European football has boosted their energy levels.
Recruitment in the summer has also been amazing, as even with the loss of Kane, Spurs are arguably the best-playing side in the Prem. The additions of goalkeeper Vicario, as well as Maddison and Van de Ven, have improved the squad depth significantly. Chelsea have also been very active in the summer, but many of their additions have not shown their potential yet. Mudryk has finally managed to get on the scoresheet, but the likes of Jackson and Caicedo have not integrated well.
Spurs are on a four game winning streak, having drawn to Arsenal in the North London derby before that. In this stretch, they’ve only conceded two goals, and have netted seven. They don’t look like a side that will close games out and beat their opponents by 3-4 goals. However, they are staunch defensively, and play an entertaining brand of football. The lack of European competitions will play in their favour this season, as they can solely concentrate on the league. If their current form continues into the new year, they’ll likely get Top 4 and maybe even more.
Chelsea have been on a good run in early October, but then lost to Brentford last week at home. An issue for Pochettino’s side is that they struggle to keep clean sheets, and don’t always win when they do. The Blues are in desperate need of points, as they are also without European competitions this year. Chelsea need to improve on last year’s hugely disappointing season, but their schedule is packed with difficult encounters. in the next five fixtures, the Blues will face Spurs, Manchester City, Newcastle, Brighton and Manchester United.
If they fail to come up with some points from these fixtures, they could be heading into December in a precarious position. With that being said, I don’t believe Chelsea will win this game; however, they might come out with a draw. Both sides have significant injuries, although mostly to bench or second-team players (except Nkunku for Chelsea). A Chelsea double-chance at 1.66 is not a bad shout; conversely, so is Only Spurs to Score at 4.00. A 2.20 Spurs win is a great value for money. In terms of form, this is indeed a London derby of two faces: who will come put smiling from this game is yet to be determined.
Tottenham Hotspur to Win – 2.20
Draw – 3.60
Chelsea to Win – 3.14