Almost a decade on from the infamous ‘Battle of the Bridge’ encounter, London rivals Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur return to Stamford Bridge to lock horns in the Premier League on Thursday night.
These two teams were involved in an enthralling seven-goal thriller in North London almost four months ago when Chelsea came out on top by a 4-3 scoreline. Chelsea’s four-game winning run across all competitions was brought to an end before the international break as Tottenham’s North London rivals Arsenal beat the Blues 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium on March 16.
Chelsea, who are seeking to avoid a third successive campaign finishing outside the Premier League’s top five, currently boast the finest of advantages in the hotly-contested battle to secure Champions League football for next season and are now preparing for three top-flight fixtures against bottom-half opposition, as well as their two-legged Conference League quarter-final tie with Legia Warsaw later this month.
The West Londoners will welcome a return to Stamford Bridge where they have won each of their last four Premier League games, keeping a clean sheet in their last two against Southampton (4-0) and Leicester (1-0) – only once in the last five seasons have Chelsea won three home matches in a row without conceding, doing so from April to May 2024 in a run that included a 2-0 win over Spurs.
Chelsea will fancy their chances of success on Thursday, as they have won more PL games (36) and scored more PL goals (120) against Tottenham than they have versus any other opponent.
Clashes between Chelsea and Spurs tend to be filled with drama and entertainment, but whether we will see another goal-fest in this one between two inconsistent teams, just as determined not to lose as they are to win, remains to be seen as both sides have lacked a cutting edge in front of goal in recent matches.
There is no doubt that the hosts will be regarded as favourites considering Spurs’ dire record at Stamford Bridge – winning just one of their last 39 away league visits over the past 35 years – and if Palmer and Jackson are to return for the Blues, then they should have enough to collect three valuable points.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
