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| Thomas Tuchel's first taste of a London derby comes this evening with a visit to North London to face Tottenham Hotspur |
Thomas Tuchel's first London Derby in charge of Chelsea is a big away trip to North London as they face Tottenham Hotspur at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Tonight is when we will see the latest act in an ancient rivalry between both clubs, both alike in dignity, in London, separated currently by goal difference. Chelsea travel across London to face according to Jose Mourinho a sad Tottenham, a Hotspur without Harry Kane , wounded by recent injury.
The Blues who have been revitalised could make it consecutive league wins against Tottenham for the first time since 2004/05 when opposition manager Jose Mourinho was in the visitors dugout. Mourinho's old team could now inflict consecutive home league defeats on him for the first time in his managerial career.
Though it's been nine years since Tottenham last lost three consecutive league games in a row, Mourinho claims there are still 'positive feelings' from the last half an hour of Tottenham's most recent defeat losing 1-0 away to Brighton on Sunday.
For the Blues, this is their third consecutive away game against a team managed by a former Chelsea manager, with five of the next six games in all competitions being on the road.
Chelsea though have had the upper hand in this Premier League London derby encounter for quite some time now, enjoying 30 wins which is the most against any other top-flight team. A clean sheet for Chelsea in the 16th London derby of the season will make Thomas Tuchel the first Chelsea coach since Jose Mourinho not to concede in his first three Premier League fixtures.
Team news for Chelsea
Thomas Tuchel has yet to be tested in his first two league games in charge as Chelsea head coach, with two goals scored and none conceded , but the German faces his first test today on the road with a trip to Tottenham.
Tuchel continues to impress and be impressed, appreciating both the quality and mentality of his players and the determination they have to make his approach work. The German has also praised Chelsea's academy graduates as well as the senior professionals, for instance Marcos Alonso, who has come in after being frozen out of the team. Chelsea are not starting to deliver on the pitch when it matters the most, however, the head coach warned the selection will not be handed out for free to anybody and expects the progress to continue.
Tuchel has almost a full squad to pick from, even though during training both Kai Havertz and Kurt Zouma suffered knocks. There is also the availability of the wizard Hakim Ziyech after being rested over the weekend.
A likely starter is the increasingly unplayable Callum-Hudson-Odoi, who was very effective against Burnley from a role as a deep wing-back so much so that one stage Burnley player Robbie Brady shouted to his manager Sean Dyche, 'I know where he is, I just can't stop him.'
Hudson-Odoi registered an assist and hit the woodwork but this was almost a scant consolation for the number of times the 20 year old exposed Burnley, however, Spaniard Cesar Azpiliqueta, who scored his first goal of the season from Hudson-Odoi's cutback is not complaining.
Restored back at his natural left wing-back position, Marcos Alonso's nerve settling second goal in the game against Burnley took the contribution of goals scored by Chelsea's defenders to 11. Alonso also scored the winner a year ago at Stamford Bridge against todays opponents and , more famously, scored both Chelsea's goals in a 2-1 victory at Tottenham's then temporary home Wembley back in 2017.
The involvement of Alonso is very much dependant on whether Tuchel reverts back to a 3-4-2-1 formation which has helped to restrict opponents to just five shots in two games with no shots registered on target.
Goalkeeper Edouard Mendy has kept nine clean sheets in 17 premier league appearances which has meant a save ratio of 53 per cent, only Manchester City shot stopper Ederson has a better save ratio, with no one being able to find a way past him for two-and-a-half games.
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| Timo Werner will hope to get on the scoresheet against Tottenham this evening |
Another player with history against Tottenham, striker Timo Werner, may well be feeling confident about a reverse of fortunes in this evenings game. The German will have been buoyed by all three of his shots being on target against Burnley - his first in the league since facing Arsenal- Werner has already scored at Tottenham's ground before for his previous club RB Leipzig and for Chelsea in the Carabao Cup earlier this season.
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