Tottenham vs Chelsea preview, team news, stats and prediction

The upcoming clash between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Monday is set to reignite a fierce rivalry in what promises to be an exciting encounter.

Tottenham currently sit second in the Premier League standings after Man City climbed above them with a win over Bournemouth on Saturday. However, they can regain top spot with a win tonight. Spurs have been in outstanding form under the guidance of Ange Postecoglou and have yet to suffer a league defeat.

On the other hand, Chelsea showed glimpses of finding their way under the management of Mauricio Pochettino, who is returning to Spurs for the first time since his sacking in 2019. However, a 2-0 home loss to Brentford last weekend has raised concerns, and they need a strong performance in this game to address those worries.

Both of these teams appointed new managers in the summer, but their starts have been quite different. Ange Postecoglou has guided Spurs to an unbeaten record and the top spot in the league after ten games, despite the departure of their star player, Harry Kane. In contrast, former Tottenham manager Pochettino has faced a slower start to life at Chelsea, with only three wins from ten games, leaving the Blues in 13th place.

Chelsea appeared to be on the right track in their last few matches, securing wins against Fulham and Burnley away, and earning a point against title contenders Arsenal. However, their defeat to Brentford at home last weekend has increased the pressure on Pochettino.

Tottenham’s turnaround has been nothing short of remarkable, as they are playing exciting football and achieving impressive results. The Lilywhites have won their last four games, scoring seven goals while conceding only two.

Pochettino’s return to his former club will undoubtedly be a focal point of the match. He had a successful tenure at Tottenham, reaching the Champions League final in 2019 and challenging for the league title over multiple seasons. However, his decision to join a London rival like Chelsea have left some fans disappointed and questioning his move to the club they once idolized him for.

MATCH DETAILS

LOCATION: London, England

STADIUM: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

DATE: Monday 6 November

Kick-off Time: 20:00 GMT / 16:00 ET / 13:00 PT, 20:00 UTC, 1:30 AM IST.

REFEREE: Michael Oliver

ASSISTANT REFEREES: Stuart Burt, Dan Cook

FOURTH OFFICIAL: Thomas Bramall

VAR: John Brooks

ASSISTANT VAR: Dan Robathan.

WATCH: The game will be shown live on Sky Sports. Fans can still buy sold-out Chelsea tickets if they want to watch all the action live at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

MATCH STATS AND HEAD-TO-HEAD

• Tottenham have lost just one of their last 16 Premier League games on a Monday.
• Chelsea have failed to win their last 26 games against teams in the top half of the Premier League.
• Tottenham are unbeaten in their past 10 Premier League games.
• Chelsea have scored six goals in their past two away league matches.
• Tottenham’s 26 points from their opening 10 league games is their best start to a top-flight season since 1960-61 when they won their first 10 and went on to take the title.
• Spurs are the 13th team to have 26 points or more after 10 matches of a Premier League season. Six of the previous 12 went on to win the title, four were runners-up, Arsenal finished third in 2007-08, and Newcastle United were sixth in 1994-95.
• Ange Postecoglou has made the best start by a Premier League manager after 10 games in charge. He is looking to become only the third manager to avoid defeat in his opening 11 fixtures, emulating Nottingham Forest’s Frank Clark in 1994 and Chelsea’s Maurizio Sarri in 2018.
• Spurs could win five Premier League matches in a row for the first time since December 2018 under Mauricio Pochettino.
• The 15 Premier League defeats Chelsea have suffered in 2023 is only one fewer than they lost in 2021 and 2022 combined. It’s their most league defeats in a year since they also lost 15 times in 1994. Only Bournemouth (18) and Everton (16) have lost more top-flight matches in 2023 than the Blues.
• Chelsea havd won just four matches since Graham Potter left in April, the fewest of any ever-present Premier League side over the same period.
• Chelsea have won only eight of their last 39 league fixtures, beating Bournemouth (twice), Crystal Palace, Leeds United, Leicester City, Luton Town, Fulham, and Burnley.
• They have lost five of their past seven London derbies in the league, as many defeats as in their previous 19 such fixtures.
• Mauricio Pochettino took charge of a club record 202 Premier League games for Tottenham.
• Pochettino won four of his 10 league matches as Spurs manager against Chelsea, as many victories as every other Spurs manager combined in the other 52 Premier League meetings.
• Son Heung-min is currently tied for second place in the Premier League scoring charts with eight goals. He has particularly excelled in London derbies this season, netting two goals against Arsenal and adding one each against Fulham and Crystal Palace

TEAM NEWS

Tottenham are facing some injury concerns with both of their left-backs, Destiny Udogie and Ben Davies, as they are doubtful for the upcoming match and will undergo fitness assessments. Additionally, Ivan Perisic, Ryan Sessegnon, and Manor Solomon continue to be sidelined.

On a positive note for Spurs, Rodrigo Bentancur, who made a late appearance in their previous victory over Crystal Palace, is expected to have an increased role in the upcoming game.

Chelsea, on the other hand, welcome back forwards, Armando Broja and Mykhailo Mudryk, who have returned to training and are available for selection.

However, Trevoh Chalobah, Carney Chukwuemeka, Ben Chilwell, Wesley Fofana, Romeo Lavia, and Christopher Nkunku are still facing lengthy spells on the sideline and will be unavailable for the match.

PREDICTED STARTING LINEUP

TOTTENHAM PREDICTED LINEUP: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Davies; Sarr, Bissouma; Kulusevski, Maddison, Richarlison; Son.

CHELSEA PREDICTED LINEUP: Sanchez; James, Silva, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Palmer, Gallagher, Sterling; Jackson.

PREDICTION

Tottenham are undoubtedly the team in excellent form, while Chelsea have only managed three league victories this season and are coming off an unconvincing performance, albeit in a victory against lower-league side, Blackburn Rovers.

However, as the saying goes, form often becomes unpredictable in derby matches. This one, in particular, given the intense rivalry and Pochettino’s return to his former club, will demand composure and the calmest of heads to emerge as victors.

While Chelsea have the potential to cause an upset, Postecoglou will ensure his players are prepared to handle the occasion without succumbing to pressure.