After a successful win over Southampton, Chelsea now face a London derby against Tottenham Hotspur. The Blues will make the short trip to North London on Sunday, hoping to capitalize on league leader Liverpool’s postponed match. A win would bring Chelsea within four points of the top spot. Here’s what to watch out for:
1. Chelsea’s Dominance Against Tottenham
Chelsea boasts an impressive Premier League record against Tottenham, with 35 wins—the most they have against any opponent. Last season, the Blues completed the double over Spurs, including a victory in this fixture during a challenging period under Mauricio Pochettino. This time, Chelsea approaches the derby in much better form under Enzo Maresca. Meanwhile, Tottenham, who were league leaders before this fixture last season, now find themselves in the bottom half of the table.
2. Will Tottenham’s High Line Backfire Again?
Last season, Tottenham’s insistence on playing a high defensive line, even when reduced to nine men, proved disastrous. Should they adopt a similar setup this year, Chelsea—leading the league in fast breaks—are well-equipped to exploit it.
Tottenham have only one fit senior center-back and have won just one of their last six matches. Chelsea, on the other hand, features pacey attackers like Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, Pedro Neto, and Noni Madueke, all adept at breaking offside traps. On paper, the Blues appear well-placed to secure another victory.
3. Predicted Team Changes for Chelsea
Despite Christopher Nkunku’s goal-and-assist heroics, Nicolas Jackson is set to return to the starting lineup in a fixture where he scored a hat-trick last year. Enzo Maresca has confirmed Robert Sanchez will resume goalkeeping duties after Filip Jorgensen’s impressive debut against Southampton.
With Malo Gusto only just returning from injury, Moisés Caicedo could again be deployed at right-back. Unlike Aston Villa, who favored play through the middle, Tottenham will look to utilize the wings, with Heung-min Son on the left and either Dejan Kulusevski or Brennan Johnson on the right. So it will make Caicedo's moves to central midfield when Chelsea have the possession a little difficult.
At center-back, Benoît Badiashile and Levi Colwill may reunite. Meanwhile, Marc Cucurella is expected to retain his spot at left-back. Caicedo’s presence at right-back would allow Romeo Lavia and Enzo Fernández to start in midfield, with Fernández pushing forward during possession. Notably, Chelsea’s goal-scoring stats improve with Fernández on the pitch.
Cole Palmer should keep his place in the XI, while Jadon Sancho and Pedro Neto are expected to return to the starting lineup.
4. Spotlight on Referee Anthony Taylor
Another crucial element of the match is referee Anthony Taylor, whose history with Chelsea is fraught with controversy. In the 2022-23 season, Taylor infamously ignored Cristian Romero pulling Marc Cucurella’s hair—a decision VAR official Mike Dean later admitted he did not overturn due to "personal reasons."
In 2019, Taylor booked Marcos Alonso after Tottenham goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga kicked him in the chest, awarding Chelsea a penalty only after VAR intervention. Chelsea fans will be hoping for impartial officiating this time, given Taylor’s track record of contentious decisions against the Blues.