CHELSEA are up against old rivals Tottenham in the Premier League today – with the winners to head straight to the top of the table.
Frank Lampard will be looking to execute his fourth straight win over former manager Jose Mourinho, with both sides in red-hot form.
- Start time: 4.30pm GMT
- TV/Live stream: Sky Sports Premier League/NOW TV
- Chelea XI: Mendy, James, Thiago Silva, Zouma, Chilwell, Kante, Kovacic, Mount, Ziyech, Abraham, Werner
- Tottenham XI: Lloris, Aurier, Rodon, Dier, Reguilon, Hojbjerg, Sissoko, Ndombele, Bergwijn, Son, Kane
- Chelsea vs Tottenham: Get Son Heung-Min at 50/1 to score anytime
Follow ALL the action with our live blog below…
FRONT THREE
Spurs front three Harry Kane, Son Heung-Min and Steven Bergwijn warming up at Stamford Bridge.
We’re less than half away from kick off in this huge game!
Credit: Getty Images
WARMING UP
Chelsea striker Timo Werner warms up for the Blues ahead of kick off.
The German frontman has four goals in the league so far this season.
Credit: Getty Images
RED HOT HARRY
Tottenham striker Harry Kane has been involved in 16 Premier League goals this season (7 goals, 9 assists), more than any other player.
He’s averaging a goal or assist every 50 minutes so far in the competition this term.
PITCH INSPECTION
Gareth Bale, Sergio Reguilon and Ben Davies check out the Stamford Bridge turf ahead of this afternoon’s game.
Kick off is just over 40 minutes away!
Credit: Getty Images
BLUES LOVE A DERBY
Since the start of 2018-19, Chelsea have won eight of their 10 home London derbies in the Premier League (D1 L1), dropping points in consecutive games last season against West Ham (0-1) and Arsenal (2-2).
SPURS SQUAD
This is how Jose Mourinho lines up the visitors this afternoon:
1 Hugo Lloris, 3 Sergio Reguilón, 24 Serge Aurier, 14 Joe Rodon, 15 Eric Dier, 5 Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, 28 Tanguy Ndombele, 7 Son Heung-Min, 17 Moussa Sissoko, 23 Steven Bergwijn, 10 Harry Kane
Replacements:
18 Giovani Lo Celso, 9 Gareth Bale, 33 Ben Davies, 6 Davinson Sánchez, 12 Joe Hart, 45 Carlos Vinicius, 27 Lucas Moura
CHELSEA SQUAD
This is the side that Frank Lampard has selected for this afternoons game.
Christian Pulisic and Kai Havertz are back in the squad, but only on the bench.
16 Edouard Mendy, 15 Kurt Zouma, 21 Ben Chilwell, 6 Thiago Silva, 24 Reece James, 17 Mateo Kovacic, 19 Mason Mount, 7 N’Golo Kanté, 11 Timo Werner, 9 Tammy Abraham, 22 Hakim Ziyech
Replacements:
10 Christian Pulisic, 18 Olivier Giroud, 5 Jorginho, 1 Kepa Arrizabalaga, 28 César Azpilicueta, 29 Kai Havertz, 2 Antonio Rüdiger
SIGN OF THE TIMES
Timo Werner has his temperature checked upon arrival at Stamford Bridge ahead of this afternoon’s game.
Credit: Getty Images
TOP SCORERS
Spurs duo Harry Kane and Son Heung-Ming have formed a formidable partnership up front this season.
Son has nine goals to his name this season, while Harry Kane has chipped in with seven.
The England frontman has also provided nine assists so far in the league this season, four more than any other player.
POOR RECORD
Spurs have kept just one clean sheet in their last seventeen away matches against Chelsea in all competitions, a 0-0 draw in March 2012.
AS IT STANDS
Here’s a look at the Premier League table ahead of kick off.
A win for either side would take them to the top of the table, and send a statement to the rest of the league that they are there to stay.
STAGE IS SET
Stamford Bridge is ready to host this afternoon’s London derby between fierce rivals Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.
Credit: Getty Images
TWO ON THE BOUNCE
Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho has lost both of his Premier League meetings with Chelsea manager Frank Lampard.
The Special One has never lost three consecutive league matches against the same manager or club before.
GOOD AFTERNOON
Welcome to our live blog of Chelsea against Tottenham in the Premier League.
This London rivalry is fierce enough at the best of times, but when you factor in the two teams are currently second and fourth in the league, with the winner today topping the table, the game has all the hallmarks of an absolute classic.
That’s without factoring in Jose Mourinho’s return to Stamford Bridge, where the Special One enjoyed so much success.
You just know there are going to be fireworks in this one.
Both teams have lost just the once in the league this season, with Spurs currently second on twenty points, and Chelsea fourth on eighteen.
Spurs also come into the game off the back of an impressive victory over Manchester City last week, and will come into today’s game brimming with confidence.
However the Blues will not be short of confidence of their own, as the Blues haven’t lost in the league since September, and that was against current champions Liverpool.
Spurs also have a woeful record at Stamford Bridge, having not won in West London since 1990.
If any man can change that record though you would fancy it to be Jose Mourinho.
A win for either side today would be a statement to the rest of the league that they are genuine title contenders.
In team news Kai Havertz and Christian Pulisic are back in contention for the Blues, while Spurs are missing Toby Alderweireld and Erik Lamela.
Kick off is at 4.30pm and team news will follow shortly.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
