Chelsea make the trip to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon for Enzo Maresca’s first taste of this particular London derby.
The Blues head into the capital with confidence on the back of four consecutive wins, with Wednesday evening. 5-1 hammering of ten-man Southampton moving them to within seven points of leaders Liverpool. Maresca’s men continue to impress in the Italian’s debut season in charge and can move 11 points clear of Spurs with victory in north London.
Chelsea triumphed twice in this fixture last season, including a memorable 4-1 win against nine-man Tottenham on the road. The Blues have won four of their last five trips away to Spurs and will be favorites to make it five from six on Sunday.
Here’s how Chelsea could line up for the ride spurs.
GK: Robert Sánchez – Although Filip Jorgensen entered the starting eleven on Thursday, Maresca has confirmed that Sánchez remains number one. The Spaniard has failed to impress this term and will be tested frequently by an attack-minded Spurs side.
RB: Bad flight – Another injury to Reece James means Gusto’s starting spot is safe for the festive period. The Frenchman has been in impressive form this season and was a handful for Southampton in midweek.
CB: Tosin Adarabioyo – Wesley Fofana hamstring problem it means Chelsea’s trio of centre-backs – Adarabioyo, Benoit Badiashile and Axel Disasi – will be fighting for minutes in the coming weeks.
CB: Levi Colwill – Colwill enjoyed a well-deserved rest during the week but will return to north London to face a duel with fellow Cobham graduate Dominic Solanke. The Spurs striker is always a handful, although he has struggled for goals in recent games.
LB: Marc Cucurella – The only area of ​​the pitch where Chelsea are a little light on orthodox options is at left-back, with Cucurella establishing himself as Maresca’s favorite on the left-hand side of defence.
DM: Moises Caicedo – The Ecuadorian one has been compared to leading defensive midfielders Rodri and Declan Rice by Maresca and is certainly competing at his level this term. He has been exceptional at the base of midfield.
DM: Enzo Fernández – Fernández’s form has been very impressive over the past month, with two goals and seven assists since the start of November. The Argentine has been a very effective box-to-box presence in Chelsea’s midfield.
RW: Noni Madueke – Madueke was dropped against Aston Villa for his performances on the training ground but returned with a goal and assist in the win over Southampton. The lively winger will aim to shine in north London against a leaky Spurs defence.
AM: Cole Palmer – Without being Chelsea’s standout player in recent weeks, Palmer has still managed two goals and an assist in his last three games. It is inevitable and he scored at Tottenham last season from the penalty spot.
LW: Pedro Neto – Having been rested during the week, Neto should return to the starting line-up in place of Joao Felix. The former Wolverhampton Wanderers man could take advantage of Pedro Porro’s defensive shortcomings.
ST: Nicolas Jackson – Jackson likes going up against the Spurs. He scored four in two meetings with them last season, including a hat-trick at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. After being rested on Thursday, he should be refreshed for a clash with an injury-hit Tottenham defender.
