When Tottenham hired Jose Mourinho at the end of November, they were 12 points behind Chelsea. After only four weeks, a win for the North London club would put them ahead of their London rivals, albeit by goal difference. The two clubs clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday December 22. The match could prove crucial in the race to the last Champions League spot. And with the history between Mourinho and Chelsea supporters, this is a match where we expect to have some fireworks.
Despite not being at their best, Spurs wrestled three points late in the game against Wolves to take their number of Premier League wins under their new Portuguese coach to four. Mourinho’s men go into the match with four wins in their last five Premier League matches, the only blip a loss to Manchester United away at Old Trafford. Their recent form has made them favourites for a place in the top four. In their last five league matches, Tottenham have scored 14 goals (not bad for a “defensive coach) thanks to players like Lucas Moura, Son and Dele Alli; they are all enjoying a great run of form, something that was lacking before Mourinho’s arrival. Harry Kane has also contributed his own quota and leads the team’s scoring chart with nine goals followed by Alli and Son with five goals each. Son has been their chief protagonist and creator with seven assists, followed by Alli with a paltry three assists only. Despite scoring many goals, it is the lack of clean sheets that must be grinding Mourinho’s gears. Spurs have conceded seven goals in their last five league matches and kept only one clean sheet. Overall, both teams have scored in 72.41% of all Spurs matches this season, and five out of their last six matches. There’s been over 1.5 goals in 90% of Spurs’ matches and over 2.5 goals in 76% of their matches.
Things can change quickly in football. From clocking six consecutive wins in the league after beating Crystal Palace in early November, things have taken a sour turn for Frank Lampard’s Chelsea in the last few weeks. Since their consecutive runs of wins, the Blues have lost four out of five matches. Surprisingly, some of the defeats have been against teams they were expected to beat, such as West Ham, Bournemouth and Everton. Part of the reason for their slump is the lack of sharpness in the attacking third. They are finding it hard to break teams down. In their last five matches, the Fulham-based club have scored only four goals in their last five matches, with half of those coming from one match. The Blues striker, Tammy Abraham, has also struggled to score in recent matches, netting only two goals in his last six matches. Chelsea will be hoping the likes of Mount, Willian and Pulisic all contribute against Spurs to arrest the tide of bad results. The defence has also not been in great form, conceding seven goals in the last five league matches with no single clean sheet. Goalkeeper, Kepa, has also been sketchy of late. In terms of overall performance this season, Frank Lampard’s team have averaged 2.15 goals per game. Both teams have scored in 66.67% of all Spurs matches this season, and four out of their last six matches.
There’s no doubt this will be a tough encounter. Even though Chelsea is not in good nick, it is likely they will want to reverse the trend this weekend. And you know what they say about derbies – “Form goes out of the window”. That said, the evidence and facts on the ground lean towards a home game with both teams expected to score at least one goal. You can read more on our Tottenham vs Chelsea tips on our betting tips page.
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