On Wednesday, Chelsea will take on Tottenham at Stamford Bridge. It’s a game that will allow Chelsea to get back to winning ways after their less than stellar performance against Sunderland on Saturday at the Stadium of Light.
That game ended in a dismal 0-0 draw, with Chelsea stuttering in front of goal. It wasn’t the worst result, of course; the last two meetings between Gus Poyet’s Sunderland and Chelsea have ended in 2-1 victories for the Black Cats, so a draw against a team that’s beginning to achieve ‘bogey’ status could be argued is a point gained. Even though nothing can be taken away from Sunderland, who put up a massive fight to hold back the formidable Blues, José Mourinho will have been weary about their ineffectiveness in front of goal.
Tottenham took on Everton at White Hart Lane on Sunday, in a game that ended 2-1 to the good for Spurs, with the unlikely Roberto Soldado scoring the winning goal on the stroke of halftime. It was a fine end to a very good month of football for Spurs, seeing the team rise to seventh place in the Premier League table. Tottenham registered nine points from an available twelve, with the only loss coming as a surprise at home against Stoke City. Tottenham is experiencing a timely season’s revival, as they will need everything to go in their favour for Wednesday’s London derby at the Bridge.
Here are some of the key battles for Wednesday’s London clash:
Aaron Lennon vs. César Azpilicueta:
Arguably the best left-back in the Premier League at the moment, Azpilicueta’s performances have been rock solid for Chelsea all season, making him a firm choice as starter over new signing Filipe Luis. This of course is coming from a player who has been played out of his natural position for most of his Chelsea career, which makes it all the more impressive. Aaron Lennon has been getting back to what he does best: providing incredible pace down the flanks, and registering a couple of assists in his last two games. The way that these two wide men deal with each other’s presence Wednesday night will be intriguing, but I expect the Spaniard to come out on top here.
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