Tottenham Hotspur has been one of the hottest teams in the Premier League this season. They started their league campaign with a defeat at the hands of Manchester United at Old Trafford when Kyle Walker put one in his own net. However, they have recovered well since and remain unbeaten in the league since.
And not just their unbeaten run, the quality of football being played by Mauricio Pochettino’s charges has forced everyone to sit up and take notice. The Argentine has drilled his players into a relentless attacking force. The Lilywhites are a constantly pressing machine without the ball and make life hard for the opposition player in possession until he coughs the ball up.
Spurs’ summer signing Dele Alli has proved to be an inspired addition to the squad as he has fitted effortlessly into the side and has been creating chances for his team-mates as well as adding goals of his own for their cause.
The north Londoners are currently sitting fifth in the league table with a tally of 24 points from their first 13 games. They have won six times, drawn as many games and their only defeat came on the opening day of the league season.
Spurs had struggled against the bigger teams in the past and it was often cited as one of the reasons for their inability to finish in the top four. However, they look to have corrected that failing to a certain extent this term. They played out a 1-1 draw against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium – and frankly speaking, they were the better side for the large stretches of the game. They were held to a scoreless draw by Liverpool, and in one of the big results of the season so far, they thrashed Manchester City 4-1 at White Hart Lane.
This weekend they will be up against fellow Londoners Chelsea, against whom they do not have a very good record. But the two teams go into the game on the back of contrasting fortunes. While the Lilywhites are in good form, Chelsea have struggled to get their title challenge going.
They are currently sitting a lowly 15th and are closer to the relegation zone than a top four finish. Nonetheless, Chelsea will head into the game on the back of two successive wins – their 1-0 win over Norwich City was followed by a 4-0 thrashing of Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Champions League in the midweek.
Despite the win, Chelsea are not yet through to the round of 16 in the Champions League and their position in the Premier League table still remains precarious.
The last time the two sides met at White Hart Lane, Spurs’ attacker Harry Kane enjoyed a sizzling game as he grabbed a brace to help his side confine the Blues to a 5-3 thrashing. Although a similar result would be difficult to repeat, despite the contrasting form of the two team, but Tottenham Hotspur will surely think they can get the three points from their home encounter.