Spurs to make most of Chelsea’s lack of champion swagger

Tottenham's Harry Photo: Reuters / Andrew Couldridge

Tottenham's Harry Photo: Reuters / Andrew Couldridge

Published Aug 17, 2017

Share

Tottenham Hotspur begin life at Wembley Stadium on Sunday when they take on Chelsea, hoping to quickly quash talk of discomfort at their temporary home by taking advantage of their rivals’ current problems. 

Spurs, who finished runners-up to Antonio Conte’s champions, were unbeaten at White Hart Lane last season but managed just one win from five outings at Wembley, where they played in the Champions League group stage, Europa League knockout phase and lost in the FA Cup semi-final to Chelsea 4-2. 

The North London club are building a new stadium next door to their old venue at White Hart Lane and will play all their home games at Wembley this season. 

Since the new Wembley was opened in 2007, Spurs have won only twice in 10 games there. 

While Chelsea looked a tough opener when the fixtures were announced, there is little of the swagger of champions about Chelsea at the moment. 

Conte’s side lost their opening Premier League home game 3-2 to Burnley and will be without skipper and key defender Gary Cahill and Spanish midfielder Cesc Fabregas, who are suspended after earning red cards in that defeat. 

With winger Eden Hazard and forward Pedro still sidelined with injury, Chelsea will hope that new arrival Alvaro Morata can rise to the occasion after impressing during his substitute appearance last Saturday. 

Chelsea have dominated the headlines this week with reports of a rift between Conte and the club’s hierachy over transfer targets, and with their striker Diego Costa firing critical comments from his exile in Brazil. 

The decision to sell midfielder Nemanja Matic to Manchester United has also been questioned, particularly given the Serb’s impressive debut for United last week. 

Tottenham brushed off talk of their own problems over transfers and wage demands with a 2-0 win at Newcastle last Sunday, and apart from right-back Kieran Trippier they should be at full strength. 

Tripper is expected to be replaced again by Kyle Walker-Peters, who impressed at St James’ Park. 

Chelsea have an excellent record against Spurs in recent meetings, having lost just twice in the past 17 games in all competitions, though one of those defeats came in the last league meeting between the two teams at White Hart Lane in January. 

After a first week in the Premier League that saw the champions Chelsea toppled and 31 goals flying in, the victories by Manchester’s clubs on the opening weekend suggested they could be the teams to chase this term. 

The rivals are book-ending week two, with United at Swansea City in tomorrow's lunchtime game and City testing Everton’s new big-spending resolve on Monday. That should provide an even better feel for their credentials. 

Jose Mourinho’s United put four past West Ham United and Romelu Lukaku quickly demonstrated his intent to be crowned the league’s top scorer, after just missing out last year, with an accomplished double. 

Just as impressive was the performance of Pep Guardiola’s City, who broke down newcomers Brighton & Hove Albion with the pairing of Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus promising much. 

German international Ilkay Gundogan is back in the frame for them, too, after a long-term injury as the off-season's £200million big spenders face an Everton side who have been splashing out again themselves by signing Gylfi Sigurdsson. 

Still having to prove they have enough goals in them after the departure of Lukaku, manager Ronald Koeman declared on Wednesday that the Icelander is the man to “bring productivity” to the Toffees after Lukaku’s departure. 

Liverpool’s win in a Champions League qualifier at Hoffenheim was just the tonic they needed to forget the saga of whether Philippe Coutinho would stay or head to Barcelona. 

Instead, they could revel in home-grown teenager Trent Alexander-Arnold’s goal-scoring in Germany. They now seek their first league win of the campaign against Crystal Palace, who were left reeling by a woeful debut under Frank de Boer in the 3-0 defeat at home to Huddersfield Town. 

The Terriers, hardly able to credit such an emphatic victory in their first match in the top flight for 45 years – which saw them briefly top the table until United’s win – now have the chance to make it, in contrast, a pointless start for fellow newcomers Newcastle United at Kirklees Stadium. 

Arsenal visit Stoke City, so often a fixture with the feel of a proper culture clash, and they will be counting on new signing Alexandre Lacazette to hit the target again. Lacaztte scored after just 94 seconds of his debut in the 4-3 win over Leicester City.

Meanwhile, Liverpool midfielder Coutinho has not recovered from a back injury and will miss tomorrow's league match against Palace, manager Jurgen Klopp said.  

Coutinho, who submitted a transfer request last week according to British media reports, missed Liverpool's 3-3 draw at Watford last Saturday and the first leg of their Champions League playoff.     

"Phil is not available. Not in training so far," Klopp told reporters yesterday, adding that he had nothing negative to say about the player's attitude.

Barcelona's sporting manager Pep Segura said on Wednesday that the Spanish club were "close" to signing Coutinho, despite Liverpool's manager and owners saying the 25-year-old is not for sale.  

Klopp said yesterday that nothing had changed with their stance.  

"I don't know why other people are saying what they're saying (about Coutinho moving to Barcelona). I don't even know him (Segura). I have never met him," Klopp said. 

"We are not silly, we know it is a very difficult situation – but there's nothing new to say. It's not always easy for me to say the 100 percent truth... But this time this is the situation." 

Fans have expressed frustration with Liverpool's failure to invest further, but Klopp said that he was happy with the players he has already. 

Tomorrow

Swansea City v Manchester United, AFC Bournemouth v Watford, Burnley v West Bromwich Albion, Leicester City v Brighton, Liverpool v Crystal Palace, West Ham United v Southampton, Stoke City v Arsenal.

Sunday

Huddersfield Town v Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea.

Monday

Manchester City v Everton.

Related Topics: