Mauricio Pochettino will make his long-awaited return to Tottenham as Chelsea manager. Two Fridays ago, the Lilywhites defeated Crystal Palace 2-1 to hold their top spot. The Blues defeated Blackburn Rovers 2-0 throughout the week to advance to the EFL Cup quarterfinals.
Preview (Tottenham Hotspur vs. Chelsea)
Former Tottenham manager Pochettino returns to North London on Monday night. Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou has cautioned the former manager not to expect a guard of honor. However, if performances continue in this vein, teams may line up to applaud the Australian’s free-flowing troupe come season’s end. An unfortunate Joel Ward’s own goal set the wheels in motion before Son Heung-min increased the Lilywhites’ lead. Playing against Roy Hodgson’s defensively sound Crystal Palace under the bright lights of Selhurst Park often proves to be a troublesome occasion for many a team. Tottenham could not unlock the Eagles’ backline throughout the entirety of the first 45 minutes.
With 26 points from his first 10 games in the tournament, Postecoglou accomplished a feat none of his Premier League management predecessors had accomplished. Jordan Ayew’s last-gasp volley proved to be little more than a consolation, although a breathtaking consolation. Although Tottenham leads the table by two points at the moment, wins by Arsenal, Manchester City, and Liverpool over the weekend could knock the North London team down to fourth place by Monday. In that scenario, Postecoglou will look to become just the third Premier League head coach—after Frank Clark and Maurizio Sarri—to go through his first 11 games unbeaten.
Tottenham will try to put together a five-game winning streak in the Premier League. They have scored twice in each of their four home wins this season. It’s no secret who led the Spurs on that incredible run. Pochettino’s exit from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was undoubtedly bittersweet. Daniel Levy took the decision just months after the Argentine won the runners-up trophy in the Champions League. Everyone in attendance should only be happy to see him return to the Lilywhites.
Team News
For Monday’s match in the capital, Tottenham manager Postecoglou may have a dilemma at left-back. Destiny Udogie missed the victory over Palace due to an injury he sustained against Fulham. Ben Davies, who replaced him, was substituted at halftime due to an ankle injury. Postecoglou has acknowledged that Davies is unlikely to make the squad. Udogie is at least nearing recovery and has a chance to play. If neither player passes their final fitness tests, Emerson Royal should step in as a temporary left-back. As they recover from surgery, Ivan Perisic (knee), Mannor Solomon (knee), Alfie Whiteman (ankle), and Ryan Sessegnon (hamstring) stay on the treatment table.
Concerns over the left back are shared by Pochettino and Postecoglou, as Ben Chilwell will need many more weeks to recover from a thigh issue, and Romeo Lavia (ankle), Wesley Fofana (knee), Christopher Nkunku (knee), Trevoh Chalobah (thigh), and Carney Chukwuemeka (knee) will all be sidelined. Though Pochettino has acknowledged that, despite only a few days of training under his belt, Armando Broja (knee) should only make the bench at most, there is still optimism that Mykhaylo Mudryk will recover from his minor ailment in time to play.
Along with cautioning about Reece James, who managed to play 61 minutes in the Blues’ victory over Blackburn, the head coach of the team has also suggested that Axel Disasi be used at right-back while Badiashile maintains his central position beside the returning Thiago Silva.
Tottenham Hotspur 2 – 1 Chelsea
For more football previews, click here
