Chelsea will look to keep up their unlikely hunt for the Premier League title when they take on old rivals Leeds United at Elland Road.
Supporters of a certain age will hold a particular disdain for their upcoming opponents after a set of feisty affairs which culminated with the 1970 FA Cup final.
What made Chelsea vs Leeds such a fierce rivalry?
“Part of the rivalry was definitely the north-south divide. We were the gritty Yorkshire team and they were the fashionable boys from the Kings Road. Both teams were full of terrific players and a few feisty characters. It got personal during the games.”
Eddie Gray (Leeds 1966-83)
“We knew they were aggrieved. After that it turned into a great rivalry between two very good sides. There was no love lost and the the best example I can give of that was the 1970 FA Cup final – especially the first game, which was one of the fiercest matches I have played in. Nobody held back.”
Ron ‘Chopper’ Harris (Chelsea 1962-80)
“They didn’t intimidate us. That’s why they hated us. There was no other club on the planet we would enjoy beating so much.”
Peter Osgood (Chelsea 1964-74)
👇 Join the debate; share your insight. Use the comment button on the bottom left to have your say
Chelsea are coming into this game off the back of an unbeaten November in all competitions, and they remain six points behind the leaders Arsenal, and four behind Manchester City after their dramatic win over Fulham.
While on paper a game against Leeds, who are off the back of four straight defeats in the league, may look comfortable, those who have played in these fixtures know what there is to expect.
John Terry coaching U18s
Photo by Crystal Pix/MB Media/Getty Images
John Terry warns Chelsea players of hostile Elland Road atmosphere
Chelsea legend John Terry has warned the Blues players that the atmosphere is going to be extremely hostile tonight, with Leeds looking to take the game to them.
He said on his TikTok page that a result is the only important thing from tonight’s game, rather than the performance Enzo Maresca’s side bring.
He said: “Leeds away Wednesday night. Always a tough fixture, but these are the ones we have to win if we wanna be title contenders at the end of this season.
“Always a hostile atmosphere at Leeds. A team that’s always on the front foot, regardless of manager and personnel. That’s what they bring. So we have to match that for sure.
“But we’re in great form ourselves, and coming off the back of a really good November. Some unbelievable performances against Barca and Arsenal. But these are about the three points.
“Bring that aggression, bring that team that’s on the front foot, and make sure we go and win this game. Forget the performance for me, come back with the three points.”
Leeds United v Chelsea FC - Premier League
Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images
Terry really pleased with Chelsea’s progress
After hardly any time to rest over the summer, it has been impressive how Chelsea have managed to genuinely compete on all fronts so far this season.
They recently showed they can fight with anyone after drawing with the Gunners with 10 men, and Terry was very happy with that result after the game.
A number of individuals have also received praise from the club legend. Terry praised Trevoh Chalobah after he scored the goal against Arsenal.
It can be expected that there will be a number of changes to the starting side tonight, starting with Andrey Santos replacing Moises Caicedo after his red card at the weekend.