Tottenham head into this London derby against Chelsea riding a crest of good form. Since Tottenham gave Nuno Espirito Santo his marching orders after the 3-0 loss to Manchester United, Spurs have only lost twice on English soil. Ironically enough, both losses have come at the hands of this weekend’s opponent, Chelsea.
Spurs don’t have an outstanding record against the Blues at all. Their West London rivals have won five of their last six clashes, keeping five clean sheets en route.
Tottenham has not scored against Chelsea in 457 minutes of playing time. Erik Lamela scored their last goal against Chelsea in September 2020.
This derby feels a little different, though. With their multitude of games in hand, Tottenham could make a legitimate run at a top-four spot over the next couple of weeks.
And victory here would be the perfect catalyst for that!
Tottenham Hotspur at Chelsea FC FYIs
Kickoff: 11:30am ET, Sunday Jan 23, Stamford Bridge
Starting XI Predictions: Chelsea Tottenham
Premier League Podcast: go here
Series History: Chelsea wins 76, Tottenham wins 55, Draws 41
Premier League Form Guide: Chelsea WDDLD Tottenham DWDWW
Odds: Chelsea (-154), Tottenham (+400), Draw (+280)
Now come with me as I gaze into the crystal ball and see who might just be in the starting xi for Tottenham come kick-off.
Hugo Lloris is a lock to start in goals.
The Frenchman is the undisputed number one at Tottenham. World-class, world cup winner, truly one of the best custodians in the league. Exactly the type of character you want in a high-pressure contest like this.
The back three in front of him basically picks itself. Davinson Sanchez plays the sweeper role with Japhet Tanganga and Ben Davies on either side of him. I think this might be the best three-man defense they have run with so far this season.
Sergio Reguilon was back last week from his injury troubles. He will be amongst the action from the opening whistle once again here. He will line up at left wing-back.
Matt Doherty might take the opposite wingback slot. Emerson Royal hasn’t been lighting the house on fire lately, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him drop to the bench.
Oliver Skipp and Pierre Emile Hojbjerg will line up in the center of midfield alongside each other.
Harry Kane will lead the line for Spurs. The English superstar seems to have hit top form at the moment and I expect him to be amongst the goals at Stamford Bridge.
He will have Lucas Moura and the hero of the Leicester comeback, Steven Bergwijn, on either side of him.
Spurs have officially won me over. So much so that I think they might just come away with all three points here!