Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea’s matches are always high intensity, full of drama — and usually have a moment or two of ill-discipline to boot.
On Sunday, the two sides face one another in a major Premier League clash. Chelsea are flying high in the table, while Tottenham have had a tough start to the season — capped off by Ange Postecoglou’s confrontation with fans after a loss to Bournemouth on Thursday.
But what is the mood like at both clubs? How is the season going? Who are the dangermen? And what do our writers predict for the match?
The Athletic sat down our experts Jay Harris and Simon Johnson to have a discussion about Sunday’s game — and where the two sides are at this stage of the season.
What’s the mood like at the club?
Jay Harris: Morale at Tottenham has plummeted less than two weeks after their stunning victory over Manchester City at the Etihad. Thursday night’s dismal 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth means they have lost eight of their last 12 away games. Ange Postecoglou’s confrontation with the fans at the final whistle suggests the cracks are opening in their relationship.
First-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario is out for months with a fractured ankle and the only fit centre-back is Radu Dragusin. This means 18-year-old midfielder Archie Gray might have to start alongside him on Sunday. It is a tense situation, possibly the worst time to play a derby.
Simon Johnson: Upbeat and why not? Head coach Enzo Maresca has made an impressive start since replacing Mauricio Pochettino in the summer. For the first time since the Todd Boehly-Clearlake consortium took over in May 2022, the fans appear to have been won over. The management structure running the club is starting to see the fruits of its labours and even the uncertainty caused by a divide between the co-owners going public in September has gone quiet.
How has the season gone relative to expectations?
Johnson: Maresca has consistently said he has not been told by the hierarchy that Chelsea have to finish in the top four of the Premier League but qualifying for the Champions League again is clearly a target. Chelsea are ahead of schedule. No one outside of Stamford Bridge would have expected Chelsea to sit in second place only a few months into Maresca’s time at the club. Pundits were describing Chelsea as a mess in August when the ‘bomb squad’ overshadowed proceedings and friendly results had been poor, but now they are being talked about as title contenders.
Harris: Dominic Solanke was the only summer signing who seemed set to improve the starting XI. There was hope that the team would kick on in Postecoglou’s second season but people were sceptical that they still lacked quality. Spurs have produced some great performances, including a 3-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford, but lost to Ipswich Town and Crystal Palace. They have progressed to the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup (where they will face Manchester United at home) and should comfortably reach the next round of the Europa League but they sit 10th in the league, level on points with Brentford and Newcastle United. Spurs have seven points fewer than at the same stage last season, even though they had failed to win their previous four matches.
What’s the fan view on the manager?
Harris: It may have been damaged by last night’s incident when Postecoglou watched from a distance as the players applauded the fans and then strode over for a tense exchange with them. Postecoglou revealed they gave him “direct feedback” and said, “Whether there’s doubt, internally or externally, it makes my resolve even stronger to get it right.”
His style of football has a lot of admirers but fans are frustrated there is no backup plan and the defeat to Bournemouth was a perfect illustration of why. They struggled to create chances despite dominating possession and lacked a cutting edge. This time a year ago, the supporters were singing, “I’m loving Big Ange instead” to the tune of Robbie Williams’ Angels but we are a long way from that now.
Johnson: The view has changed in a few months. Many expressed doubts over Maresca’s arrival. His brief time in management at Parma (14 games) and Leicester (one season), plus not having coached a ‘big club’, was held against him. But achieving good results alongside plenty of goals has won them over and significantly his name was sung for the first time during the 5-1 win at Southampton. The away support also chanted, “We’ve got our Chelsea back.” He is a popular man but his approval rating will take a hit if they lose to Tottenham. That is always a big no-no for any Chelsea head coach.
Who has been the standout player?
Johnson: The easy answer is to say Cole Palmer. It has felt like the automatic reply since he joined the club from Manchester City last year. A return of nine goals and six assists from 14 league fixtures is outstanding, but the flair he displays is worth the entrance fee alone. Opponents are trying to target him during matches, whether it be simply man-marking him or, in Lisandro Martinez and Wilfred Ndidi’s case, being guilty of terrible challenges.
Chelsea are doing so well because they have many players in form, making them less dependent on Palmer. Moises Caicedo, Nicolas Jackson and Marc Cucurella are three key cogs performing at a very high level.
Harris: Dejan Kulusevski has been a revelation playing in an attacking central midfield role this season. He glides past opponents, causes confusion with his dribbling and creates space for his team-mates to exploit. James Maddison used to be Tottenham’s creative spark and most influential player but Kulusevski has taken the crown. Son Heung-min has been a shadow of his former self, though, only scoring three times in 11 top-flight appearances.
What is a realistic aim this season?
Harris: After Tottenham lost to Arsenal in September, Postecoglou corrected Sky Sports presenter Emma Saunders by saying he “always wins trophies” in his second season with a club. The 59-year-old has set the bar high but it is difficult to imagine them winning anything. Their Carabao Cup quarter-final against United is in a couple of weeks but they will be without Vicario and potentially Micky van de Ven. Spurs have a young squad but it also contains the captains of Mali, South Korea and Sweden. Romero has won the World Cup with Argentina, too. They should be challenging for the top four.
Johnson: Maresca is right to dismiss their chances of winning the league this season. Chelsea have not been in a title race since they won it in 2017 and lack experience. Their squad is the youngest in the top division (Chelsea have fielded the 14 youngest starting XIs this season), they concede too many chances and Robert Sanchez is not winning over the crowd as the first-choice goalkeeper.
The squad is still strong enough to qualify for the Champions League and it will be a disappointment if they do not win the Conference League. They are clearly the strongest team in Europe’s third-tier competition by some distance.
How does the rivalry feel?
Johnson: It does not matter how well Chelsea are playing, this is the game that their supporters look forward to, and want to win, the most. They did not win the ‘Battle of the Bridge’ in 2016 but the 2-2 draw is still fondly remembered because the result meant Spurs officially lost the league to Leicester City. When the much loved pre-game tune ‘The Liquidator’ is played at Stamford Bridge, you will always hear, ‘We hate Tottenham, Chelsea!’ shouted loudly from the stands. The intensity of this rivalry will never fade.
Harris: There is no love lost between these two sides as Simon has mentioned. In this exact fixture last year, Tottenham actually won a lot of plaudits for committing to an attacking style of play despite having Romero and Destiny Udogie sent off. Chelsea won 4-1 but did not take the lead until the 75th minute. Hindsight means Tottenham’s performance in that game has taken on a different dimension. It is seen as the point where everything started going downhill and inconsistency infected the team. The supporters will be hoping a victory can reignite Postecoglou’s project.
What should Chelsea fear most about the opposition?
Johnson: Tottenham’s ability to turn up for the big games. The manner of their 4-0 victory at champions Manchester City was extraordinary and they defeated top-four rivals Manchester United and Aston Villa convincingly too. Even if Chelsea take the lead, Maresca’s men will have to be wary because Tottenham equalled a Premier League record of coming from behind in eight home games in 2024 to win.
And what about Spurs?
Harris: Chelsea can be lethal on the counter with the speed of Nicolas Jackson, Noni Madueke and Pedro Neto. Tottenham’s high defensive line and commitment to pushing players forward leave their centre-backs exposed. Van de Ven can outpace most of the world’s quickest strikers but Dragusin might struggle if he finds himself running back towards goal on too many occasions.
What’s your prediction?
Johnson: With both teams’ attacks being superior to their defences, I can see goals aplenty. I am going for a 2-2 draw and due to the intensity, at least one team will have a man sent off.
Harris: Tottenham have a nasty habit of conceding first at home before producing dramatic comebacks and they cannot afford to give an in-form Chelsea side an easy advantage. Postecoglou’s side have saved their best performances for the big sides this season but I am going for a 2-2 draw. Spurs will look threatening on the counter but Chelsea will take advantage of their patchwork defence.
(Top photos: Getty Images)
