Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur gear up for the first big ticket clash of the year as the whole of Premier League will be backing Spurs to halt Chelsea’s frightening run and knock back some balance into the title race. Chelsea have been unstoppable and made it 13 wins in a row as they dispatched Stoke City in their last match. They will be aiming to create a record of sorts for the most number of consecutive wins in a single Premier League season and it will be up to Spurs to prevent that from happening.
Tottenham have been impressive themselves this season and can potentially be just two points off 2nd placed Liverpool if they win. With Harry Kane, Dele Alli and the likes of Eriksen and Sissoko firing, it will be an excellent battle between the two bitter rivals.
Let us take a look at the 3 key battles which can have an impact on the outcome at the end of the 90 minutes.
HARRY KANE VS DAVID LUIZ
The most obvious and the most lip-smacking tussle to look forward to. Luiz has improved drastically since his return to Chelsea and he shed the unpredictability and the uncertainty which were hallmarks of his play. Riddled with mistakes despite his talent, he was often a liability. But all that is history and he will be their main defensive rock when the likes of Harry Kane look to break down the Chelsea wall. Kane is fresh from a brace against Watford and with his endless confidence and enthusiasm, is likely to provide Luiz with his biggest test since his return to England.
N’GOLO KANTE VS MOUSA DEMBELE
The Premier League with Leicester City is showing exactly how important he was to the Foxes’ winning campaign. His tireless running and ability to break down attacks and cover the entire length of grass have almost made Chelsea look like having an extra body in midfield. He has been key for the Blues.
But on Wednesday he will be up against Dembele who is equally important to Spurs. His ability to control the ball and run with it and shield it effectively when required gives the Lilywhites the control in midfield. Two contrasting styles adopted by two different players. An interesting battle is on the cards.
DIEGO COSTA VS TOBY ALDERWEIRELD
Alderweireld has had a bit of a stop-gap season till now and will look to achieve a level of continuity and consistency and what better match to start it than against Chelsea. He will have the familiar face of Vertonghen alongside him and with Walker and Rose in fine form, the defence looks to be a lot more stable. They will be up against a typical one-man army in Diego Costa. The Spaniard will hustle and harry the defence and will look to carry on his brilliant form this season. Leading the scoring charts, he will be the main threat at White Hart Lane on Wednesday.
