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Recommended bets
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Match preview
With Newcastle not in league action, can Tottenham Hotspur pull four points clear in the race for Champions League qualification?
Last Sunday, Spurs climbed into the top four for the first time since before the World Cup, swatting aside rivals West Ham at home.
An unlikely source named Emerson broke the deadlock, before Son Heung-min secured the points.
This is the third time Cristian Stellini has been in charge on the touchline and he’s won all three, also masterminding victories over Marseille and Man City.
It remains to be seen if Antonio Conte will be back for a meeting with his former club here.
Speaking of Chelsea, they’re all the way down in tenth place, 11 points worse-off than their hosts from across the capital.
Graham Potter’s team have now taken just 12 points from the last 42 available, winning only two of 14 matches in all competitions since the start of November.
If Potter’s side suffer another defeat here, surely he’ll be pushed even closer to the brink.
Excluding a shootout win, Tottenham haven’t won any of their last 12 meetings with Chelsea, while their last league victory in this fixture came at Wembley in November 2018.
Will that barren run come an end in this fiercely-contested derby fixture at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium?
Tottenham Hotspur team news
Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris remains sidelined so Fraser Forster, who’s never kept a clean sheet in eight appearances against Chelsea, will continue to deputise.
Meanwhile, in midfield, Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma are both out long-term, meaning Oliver Skipp will be Pierre-Emile Højbjerg’s partner for the foreseeable future.
Ben Davies was given a rare start at left-wing-back against West Ham, but Ivan Perišić is set to return here.
On the other side, Emerson will keep his place, having been excellent since Pedro Porro’s arrival from Sporting.
In attack, Son Heung-min’s goal last Sunday could see him return in place of Richarlison, who’s still yet to score a Premier League goal for Spurs.
Predicted XI (5-2-3): Forster; Emerson, Romero, Dier, Davies, Perišić; Højbjerg, Skipp; Kuluševski, Son Hueng-min, Kane.
Chelsea team news
César Azpilicueta was hospitalised after suffering a nasty whack to the head against Southampton so Reece James, who was rested during that game, is likely to return at right-back.
Thiago Silva will also return at the back; Wesley Fofana came off the bench last weekend, his first appearance since 1 October due to a knee injury.
Enzo Fernández remains the midfield linchpin, but who knows who will be alongside him.
In attack, Mykhaylo Mudryk, Raheem Sterling and Kai Havertz could all be back in the XI, while, in contrast, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is nowhere to be seen.
Predicted XI (4-3-3): Arrizabalaga; James, Thiago Silva, Badiashile, Chilwell; Fernández, Kovačić, João Félix; Sterling, Mudryk; Havertz.
Tottenham Hotspur vs Chelsea: Head to head statistics
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Premier League table
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