Venue : Stamford Bridge
Date : Wednesday, 3 December
Kick-off: 19:45 GMT
After weeks of hearing about the runaway train that
was Chelsea, it was almost as if there’d been a total
derailment on Sunday after our draw against
Sunderland. And as far as the media was concerned,
with both sides of Manchester having a decent
weekend, we’d gone from the Invincibles to the
Invisibles in the space of 90 minutes. In fact, add
United’s win again last night putting them within 8
points of us, we should probably just concede the title
and be done with it now.
Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on the result)
for the lot of them though, we have a game against
Spurs tonight that could put the brakes on their latest
bandwagon. It’s a game we have to go into without
Diego Costa after he racked up his fifth yellow against
Sunderland at the weekend, so we’ll have to hope
Didier hasn’t lost his passion for scoring against the
North London lot.
MANAGER’S VIEWS
Going into tonight’s game, Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho
fielded the predictable questions around Costa’s
absence, saying “ We don’t speak about Diego. We trust Remy
and Drogba the same way we trust Diego. This is not our way of
work. So forget Diego. We trust the other two and we go with the
other two.”
Whilst on the squad in general, he says “ Normal. What do
you want the team to do or feel when the team is doing a perfect
season? We are top of the league in the Premier League, top of
the group in the Champions League, in the quarter-finals in the
Capital One Cup, and haven’t lost a match in four months. The
team has to feel very, very well. When the defeat arrives, we
have to feel the same way. We are doing things very, very well
and it’s not a bad result, when a bad result arrives, that is going
to change our self-belief and self-esteem .”
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino meanwhile,
says “ Costa is a very good player – I know him from Spain. But
if they don’t play Costa they can play Didier Drogba or Loic
Remy. These are different players, with different characteristics –
but they are top players too. Chelsea are the best team in the
Premier League at the moment, with an unbelievable squad. In
the last 14 home games they’ve kept 11 clean sheets. But it’s
exciting to go and play there, in a difficult stadium, and try to get
three points.”
SQUAD NEWS
For Chelsea, Nathan Ake (hamstring) is unlikely to be
included, whilst Diego Costa spends this game on the
naughty step after seeing his fifth yellow card at the
weekend. Loic Remy and Didier Drogba are in
contention to start up front.
For Spurs, Kyle Walker (abdominal surgery) isn’t ready
for a start just yet, Etienne Capoue and Danny Rose are
given as concerns, Emmanuel Adebayor (virus and
back) will get a late check but Kyle Naughton is
available again following his two-match ban.
TEAMS
CHELSEA: Courtois: Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry,
Azpilicueta; Matic, Fabregas; Willian, Oscar, Hazard;
Drogba.SPURS: Lloris: Dier, Kaboul, Vertonghen,
Naughton; Bentaleb, Mason; Lamela, Kane, Eriksen;
Soldado.
LAST SEASON
Chelsea 4-0 Spurs (8 March 2014)
OTHER STUFF
• Chelsea are undefeated this season in all competitions
(W15, D5).
• Chelsea have won 28 of their last 34 home league
games (D5, L1).
• Spurs have lost just one of their last six away games
in the league.
• Spurs have won three of their last four league games,
losing the other.
• Spurs and Chelsea have both won the most points
from losing positions in the league this season (9).
• Spurs have never won at Stamford Bridge in the
Premier League.
• Spurs’ last win at Chelsea in any competition came in
February 1990.
• Four of the last six league meetings have been draws.
PREDICTION
The last time Spurs beat us in the league at Stamford
Bridge, it was gaslit rather than floodlit, so as ever, the
assumption would be its a straightforward 3 points in
the bag for Chelsea. That was the assumption before
our game on Sunday as well though so we shouldn’t be
too surprised to see another draw.

blues pls dnt go weaker tonight