Match thread Vs Chelsea

At The Lane it's very close in head to head. But we have broken the bad mojo they had over us and we can continue to improve against them . . . . . .

At Tottenham Hotspur (69)

Results Total %

Tottenham Hotspur 26 wins (37.68%)

Chelsea 25 wins (36.23%)

Draws 18 (26.09%)

Goals Total Av.pg

Tottenham Hotspur 117(1.70 pg)

Chelsea 106 (1.54 pg)

Record Scores

Highest Aggregate 8 Tottenham Hotspur 4 - 4 Chelsea 2007/2008

Highest Tottenham Hotspur score: 5 Tottenham Hotspur 5 - 0 Chelsea 1920/1921

Highest Chelsea score: 6 Tottenham Hotspur 1 - 6 Chelsea 1997/1998

The last 10 years make grim reading but we have cracked the hoodoo and know we have nothing to fear at home against them . . . . . . .


Match-by-match
Season Date Home Score Away Competition
2009/2010 Sat 17 Apr Tottenham Hotspur 2 - 1 Chelsea Premier League
2009/2010 Sun 20 Sep Chelsea 3 - 0 Tottenham Hotspur Premier League
2008/2009 Sat 21 Mar Tottenham Hotspur 1 - 0 Chelsea Premier League
2008/2009 Sun 31 Aug Chelsea 1 - 1 Tottenham Hotspur Premier League
2007/2008 Wed 19 Mar Tottenham Hotspur 4 - 4 Chelsea Premier League
2007/2008 Sun 24 Feb Tottenham Hotspur 2 - 1 Chelsea League Cup *
2007/2008 Sat 12 Jan Chelsea 2 - 0 Tottenham Hotspur Premier League
2006/2007 Sat 07 Apr Chelsea 1 - 0 Tottenham Hotspur Premiership
2006/2007 Mon 19 Mar Tottenham Hotspur 1 - 2 Chelsea F.A. Cup
2006/2007 Sun 11 Mar Chelsea 3 - 3 Tottenham Hotspur F.A. Cup
2006/2007 Sun 05 Nov Tottenham Hotspur 2 - 1 Chelsea Premiership
2005/2006 Sat 11 Mar Chelsea 2 - 1 Tottenham Hotspur Premiership
2005/2006 Sat 27 Aug Tottenham Hotspur 0 - 2 Chelsea Premiership
2004/2005 Sat 15 Jan Tottenham Hotspur 0 - 2 Chelsea Premiership
2004/2005 Sun 19 Sep Chelsea 0 - 0 Tottenham Hotspur Premiership
2003/2004 Sat 03 Apr Tottenham Hotspur 0 - 1 Chelsea Premiership
2003/2004 Sat 13 Sep Chelsea 4 - 2 Tottenham Hotspur Premiership
2002/2003 Sat 01 Feb Chelsea 1 - 1 Tottenham Hotspur Premiership
2002/2003 Sun 03 Nov Tottenham Hotspur 0 - 0 Chelsea Premiership
2001/2002 Wed 13 Mar Chelsea 4 - 0 Tottenham Hotspur Premiership
2001/2002 Sun 10 Mar Tottenham Hotspur 0 - 4 Chelsea F.A. Cup
2001/2002 Wed 23 Jan Tottenham Hotspur 5 - 1 Chelsea League Cup
2001/2002 Wed 09 Jan Chelsea 2 - 1 Tottenham Hotspur League Cup
2001/2002 Sun 16 Sep Tottenham Hotspur 2 - 3 Chelsea Premiership
2000/2001 Tue 17 Apr Tottenham Hotspur 0 - 3 Chelsea Premiership
2000/2001 Sat 28 Oct Chelsea 3 - 0 Tottenham Hotspur Premiership
1999/2000 Sat 05 Feb Tottenham Hotspur 0 - 1 Chelsea Premiership

the have terry back and lumpard who wil be short of fitness. but who cares.

terry has been sent of for spurs a 2 times in last 4 games.

we can beat them. then we 1 point behind them

Bosingwa or Ferreira wont cope with Bale down the flank and Ivanovic dont want to play the right back spot either ...

Lennon has to keep Cole on the back foot and whoever is our right back has to do a job on Malouda...

Gallas will be up for this like he were at the Goon stadium and I expect fireworks between him and Drogba...

I was going to write its a good time to play Chelski, but then i thought not really , its nver a good time to play them, but in the last 3 of seasons we have done rather well against them , we can beat them, they have CL tonight so we do get that extra days rest

Dogbreath has spoken (and Fat Fwank maybe back) . . . . . .

Didier Drogba is hopeful his waning Chelsea side can halt their bad run in Sunday's league clash at Tottenham.

With four points from six league games, the Blues have dropped to third in the table, and on Wednesday they lost 1-0 at Marseille in the Champions League.

But the Ivorian striker said: "Maybe everyone will expect us to lose on Sunday, but it could be different."

Despite his defiant message, however, Drogba deemed fifth-placed Spurs to be "genuine title rivals now".

"They are having a good season and there is no reason why they can't challenge," opined Drogba. "Chelsea used to beat them regularly but things change, that's life, but it is up to us to make it happen again."

Over the last 10 seasons, Chelsea have won 15 of the 26 encounters between the two sides in all competitions, compared to Spurs' five victories.

However, since the 2007/08 season, Spurs have edged the head-to-head - winning three of the seven clashes, with the Blues victorious in two.

The north London outfit edged the last of those meetings - a 2-1 home triumph thanks to first-half goals from Jermain Defoe and Gareth Bale.


That loss in April failed to halt Chelsea's march to the Premier League title, and Carlo Ancelotti's side began where they left off early in this campaign as the goals flowed to send them to the summit.

But a defeat at Manchester City on 25 September betrayed a chink in Chelsea's armour, and after further losses to Liverpool, Sunderland and Birmingham, and only two points in their most recent league outings at Newcastle and at home to Everton, leaders Arsenal and Manchester United have overtaken Ancelotti's side.

The Italian, whose side's dip in form has coincided with coach Ray Wilkins' sacking at Stamford Bridge last month, now faces three massive games as he bids to stop the rot - beginning at Spurs this weekend followed by a home clash against Sir Alex Ferguson's United on 19 December and a trip to the Gunners on 27 December.

"Obviously these three games are not coming at the right time for us, but maybe these matches will change the situation we're in now if we win them," added Drogba.

"It's not finished yet. It's a difficult moment for us, but this is the kind of thing that can happen to many teams and it's rare for Chelsea to have a period like this and I hope it's going to get better."

However, even with fit-again captain John Terry, midfield stalwart Michael Essien and Drogba - who has scored seven league goals this term - all starting their final Champions League Group F game in France, there was scant evidence that the Blues are about to turn a corner.

"This was another very disappointing defeat," admitted Drogba, whose side created little and were beaten by an 81st-minute Brandao strike at his former club.

"It is difficult to take. The good thing is we have still qualified and finished top of the group."

Tottenham, too, went through to the last 16 as group leaders, but, in contrast to their opponents on Sunday, ended their pool campaign with another expansive display in a 3-3 draw at FC Twente.

A Peter Wisgerhof own goal had given Spurs the lead while two well-worked Defoe goals typified the fearless attacking philosophy that has resulted in Redknapp's side staking a claim to join the English game's elite this season.

Like their last league match, though - a 1-1 draw at Birmingham - their forward endeavour was offset by a porous defence, which Drogba and Chelsea will, obviously, hope to expose.

The Blues' bid to expose any defensive frailties could be boosted by the return of England midfielder Frank Lampard. The 32-year-old, who has been sorely missed by Chelsea, may be available for the first time since late August when he underwent a hernia operation.

TEAM NEWS

Tottenham's Alan Hutton, Aaron Lennon and Luka Modric will be restored to the starting line-up after missing the European match with FC Twente.

Younes Kaboul faces a fitness test on his injured hip, but Niko Kranjcar and Rafael van der Vaart are out.

Chelsea welcome back Nicolas Anelka and Ashley Cole after they sat out Wednesday's defeat by Marseille.

Frank Lampard will not be rushed back from long-standing groin and tendon problems as he lacks match practice.



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Tottenham

Doubtful: Kaboul (hip)

Injured: Huddlestone (ankle), Jenas (calf), King & Woodgate (both groin), Kranjcar & van der Vaart (both hamstring), O'Hara (back)

Chelsea

Injured/unavailable: Alex (knee), Benayoun (Achilles), Bosingwa (hamstring), Lampard (fitness), Zhirkov (calf)

MATCH PREVIEW

There was a time when a trip to Tottenham would have been the perfect tonic for Chelsea to help them out of their rut. Not so long ago the Blues enjoyed a 19-year unbeaten run in the league at Spurs, but those days of 'Three Point Lane' are long gone as Tottenham have begun to establish a hold over Chelsea of their own.
Harry Redknapp's side have not lost at White Hart Lane against their west London rivals since 2005 and their Gareth Bale-inspired victory in April last season came perilously close to derailing Chelsea's title charge.

If the Blues are to retain their title, manager Carlo Ancelotti has to find a way of arresting their dramatic recent slump that has caught everyone by surprise. After 10 games of the season they had lost just once, scored 27 goals and conceded three times. In their last six matches they have won only once, scored a mere three times and let in eight.

Ancelotti has been bold enough to say he is genuinely worried by their form and with Manchester United and Arsenal to come after Spurs, the heat is definitely on the normally ice-cool Italian.

Tottenham, in contrast, are flying and have taken Europe by storm, establishing themselves as the great entertainers of the Champions League group stages. This match will provide an acid test of their title credentials.

MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head

• Tottenham went 16 years and 32 matches without a league victory over Chelsea, but since a 2-1 win in 2006 they have won on two further occasions. They have lost just one of their last five encounters with the Blues.

• Chelsea's last Premier League win at Tottenham was 2-0 in August 2005 - Asier Del Horno and Damien Duff scored the goals.

• This is the 142nd meeting between the teams. Tottenham have won 49 times, Chelsea 59 and there have been 33 draws.

Tottenham

• Tottenham have thrown away six points from winning positions this season - drawing with Birmingham, Sunderland and West Brom.

• Spurs have won four of their seven league games which have come after midweek Champions League matches.

• They are unbeaten in their last 11 London derby matches at White Hart Lane in the league, winning the last six, since a 3-1 defeat to Arsenal in September 2007.

• Their only defeat in their last 19 home matches was 1-0 to Wigan in August.

Chelsea

• Chelsea have taken just five points from the last 18 available, their worst run since September 2000.

• They had scored an average of 2.81 goals per game in 2010, but since they lost to Liverpool on 7 November it has dropped to 0.62 goals per game.

• Nicolas Anelka has not scored in over eight hours of Premier League football and Didier Drogba has just one goal in his last eight matches.


LEADING GOALSCORERS


Tottenham

Bale: 9 goals (5 league); Van der Vaart: 8 goals (6 league);

Pavyluchenko: 8 goals (4 league)



Chelsea

Anelka: 10 goals (3 league); Malouda: 8 goals (7 league)


MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Mike Dean

Assistant referees: Stephen Child & David Richardson

Fourth official: Peter Walton


LAST LEAGUE MATCH LINE-UPS
Tottenham (D1-1 v Birmingham, a): Gomes, Hutton, Gallas, Bassong, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Palacios, Modric, Bale, Crouch, Defoe (Pavlyuchenko 78). Subs not used: Cudicini, Dawson, Kranjcar, Corluka, Sandro, Pletikosa.

Chelsea (D1-1 v Everton, h): Cech, Bosingwa (Ferreira 65), Ivanovic, Terry, Cole, Essien, Mikel (Sturridge 88), Malouda, Kalou, Drogba, Anelka (Ramires 78). Subs not used: Turnbull, Bruma, Kakuta, McEachran

Tottenham v Chelsea line-ups

Tottenham: Gomes, Hutton, Dawson, Bassong, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Palacios, Modric, Bale, Pavlyuchenko, Defoe. Subs: Cudicini, Bentley, Keane, Crouch, Giovani, Corluka, Sandro.

Chelsea: Cech, Ferreira, Ivanovic, Terry, Cole, Ramires, Mikel, Essien, Kalou, Anelka, Malouda. Subs: Turnbull, Lampard, Drogba, Sturridge, Van Aanholt, Bruma, McEachran.
Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral)


TOTTENHAM v CHELSEA TEAM NEWS (1600 GMT)
Mike Henson reports: "The big news for Chelsea is that Didier Drogba, who has scored just once in eight league games, drops to the bench. He will find himself sitting alongside Frank Lampard who is on his way back from a tendon and groin problems that have kept him out since August. Chelsea recall Ashley Cole and Jon Mikel Obi for Jose Bosingwa and Josh McEachran in the other two changes from the team that lost to Marseille in midweek. Tottenham name Michael Dawson at the heart of defence alongside Sebastien Bassong as William Gallas drops out of the matchday 16. Alan Hutton is in at right-back while Luka Modric and Aaron Lennon are back in midfield at the expense of Niko Kranjcar and Jermaine Jenas who played in Tuesday's 3-3 draw with FC Twente."