What: English Premier League
Who: Tottenham Hotspur vs Chelsea
When: Thursday 22nd December, 2011, at 20:00 UK time
Where: White Hart Lane, London, England
Title Push
Two points in front of Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur hope that a win at White Hart Lane will consolidate their third-place ranking in the Premier League and bring second spot a little closer, with Manchester United now in their sights. It is not second however that is the limit of their ambitions, with a genuine sense that a title push could be possible starting to take root in the dressing room.
And a win against Andre Villas-Boas’ Chelsea would be the cornerstone that Spurs will need should they want to build a fruitful league challenge, according to club midfielder Sandro.
“Yes [we can win the title] …Why not? All our players are very good, we have a strong team and a very good bench, so why not?” declared the Brazilian. “I think if we win this game our confidence will go up and up.”
However, Harry Redknapp has suffered injury blow after injury blow with bad news landing on his desk, as a good number of his key men have been confined to the treatment room. While Gareth Bale may return here, Jerome Defoe may miss out, along with Aaron Lennon. Tom Huddlestone should also miss this, while Michael Dawson’s return date is still opaque.
At White Hart Lane though, Spurs can be counted on to attack whoever Redknapp fields. This is a key test of the club’s title credentials.
One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
Just when Chelsea seemed to be back, they stumbled once again, as the comeback win against Manchester City was followed by a draw against lowly Wigan Athletic. Nine points off City now, the Premier League crown is slipping further away.
In a similar fashion to AC Milan, Chelsea now hold an old guard that has failed to get the job done when called upon this season. Established superstars in earlier years, the likes of John Terry and Petr Cech are shadows of their former selves. The latter was particularly at fault as he failed to deal with an easy ball that led to Wigan’s equaliser at the DW Stadium.
However, forward Daniel Sturridge, one of the new breed, feels that Chelsea should not be written-off yet in the title reckoning. “We will fight to the last game", said the Englishman. "These sorts of draws are upsetting because we worked so hard only to concede at the end. It is frustrating for everyone and it is important we bounce back, which we will. Any team in the top six can win it. We’re one of them."
Recent form
Tottenham Hotspur:
Stoke City 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur (11/12; Premier League)
Shamrock Rovers 0-4 Tottenham Hotspur (15/12; Europa League)
Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Sunderland (18/12; Premier League)
Chelsea:
Chelsea 3-0 Valencia (06/12; Champions League)
Chelsea 2-1 Manchester City (12/12; Premier League)
Wigan Athletic 1-1 Chelsea (17/12; Premier League)
Key absences
Tottenham Hotspur: Tom Huddlestone; Michael Dawson; Aaron Lennon; Jermaine Defoe (doubt)
Chelsea: Michael Essien; Ramires (doubt); David Luiz (doubt)
Players to watch
Tottenham Hotspur – Luka Modric: All eyes will be on the Croatian as he prepares to meet the team he almost joined over the summer. One of the best playmakers in the world, Modric has the talent to show Chelsea just what they have been missing this season.
Chelsea – Juan Mata: The ex-Valencia man has had an easy transition to life in England so far, scoring on his debut and winning Blues’ hearts. Against Spurs, much will be asked of him in a side that has failed to replicate the winning form of two years ago.
Match Prediction
Tottenham appear to be in better spirits than the visitors going into this match. The last-minute draw against Wigan was hard for Chelsea to swallow, and it is unclear whether the team has got over this setback. Expect Spurs to win by a slim margin.
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