Premier League: Buoyant Chelsea Happy to Take on Spurs

Tottenham Hotspur vs Chelsea  

Second-placed Chelsea head to North London on Sunday to take on a strikingly inconsistent Tottenham Hotspur in one of the Premier League clashes of the weekend. Two of the big touchline characters will be on show, as Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs and Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea come face-to-face, and their fans will be in contrasting moods. The Blues are flying at the moment and are beginning to look like genuine title contenders, while Tottenham are on the slide.   

After whacking Aston Villa 3-0, Chelsea took on Southampton on Wednesday and they dispatched the sorry Saints 5-1 in a brutal display of attacking football. Meanwhile, Spurs followed a 1-1 draw with Fulham with a 1-0 defeat away at Bournemouth on Thursday, a result which took them down to 10th place in the table. But looking on the bright side, the Whites are still ahead of Newcastle United and Manchester United.

 

Talking Points

Which Tottenham will turn up?

Postecoglou must be scratching his head at the moment when he looks at his team’s recent Premier League 2024 results. Three weeks ago, Tottenham lost at home to newly promoted Ipswich Town to give the Tractor Boys their first victory of the campaign. They followed that up with a stunning 4-0 victory over Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium and that after they had already knocked the Sky Blues out of the Carabao Cup, following that up with a 4-1 hammering of high-flying Aston Villa.

But since beating Pep Guardiola’s all-stars, things have gone off the rails again for Spurs, drawing at home to Roma and then Fulham And on Thursday, they fell to a 1-0 loss away to Bournemouth. Dean Huijsen’s first-half header was enough to lift the Cherries above Spurs in the table, but it could have been much worse, as Ryan Christie hit the woodwork, and Evanilson had a goal chalked off by VAR. Tottenham fans let their feelings be known at the final whistle and Postecoglou said he received “pretty direct feedback”.

The injury to centre-back Micky van de Ven came at a bad time, as he has missed the last six games after pulling a hamstring during the Carabao Cup win over the Sky Blues back in October. The Dutch star has become a fan-favourite since his arrival last summer, and he can play as a left-back as well as on the left side of central defence. The 23-year-old is getting closer to a return, and Spurs supporters will be delighted van de Ven makes the squad on Sunday.

 

Are Chelsea genuine title contenders again?    

Under Maresca, Chelsea are flying high in second place, and the latest Premier League 2024 betting odds make them fourth favourites to win the title at a price of 17.00, while Tottenham are fifth favourites but way behind at 101.00.

The Blues boss made some changes for the trip to Southampton and Christopher Nkunku, signed from RB Leipzig in 2023, scored on his return, while two other incomers, Axel Disasi and Noni Madueke also bagged in the first half as the Blues wiped the Saints away. Even before Jack Stephens was sent off, the hosts were under the cosh and Chelsea could have scored more.     

Of course, Cole Palmer got his goal to make it nine goals and six assists for the season, while Jadon Sancho climbed off the bench to score the fifth. Star striker Nicolas Jackson, who has been a constant threat in recent weeks, was rested. This is a squad with increasing depth and a team which looks together at long last.  

 

History

With 41 wins to 11, the Blues have been dominant in this relationship in the Premier League era, and last season they won this fixture 4-1, as well as winning 2-0 at Stamford Bridge. Jackson scored a hat-trick in the massacre at the Tottenham Hotpsur Stadium, as the hosts were reduced to nine men, with Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie taking an early bath. And when we look at recent form there isn’t much to cheer up the Spurs fans. While their team has won one, drawn two, and lost three of the last six games, Chelsea have won five and drawn one.     

 

Betting Tip

The SBOTOP football stats guys price the hosts at 2.77, Chelsea at 2.14, and the draw at 3.64, so all three results are well in play. You can back Tottenham: Draw no Bet at a price of 2.35. But I think it will be a blue, blue Sunday for Spurs.

   

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