Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur will resume their rivalry on Saturday, with the two clubs meeting at Stamford Bridge in a pivotal Premier League clash.
Spurs are the last undefeated side left in England's top division, and the team will have revenge on their minds after last year's disappointing draw in west London that saw Leicester City seal the title.
The Blues have been on fire of late and get to test their newfound defensive solidity against a quality opponent, giving manager Antonio Conte some insights into his side's title credentials.
Here's everything you need to know about the upcoming match.
Date: Saturday, November 26
Time: 5:30 p.m. GMT/12:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Stamford Bridge, London
TV Info: BT Sport 1 (UK)
Live Stream: BT Sport Extra, NBC Sports Live
Team News
Marco van Ginkel and Kurt Zouma both featured for the Blues in their Premier League 2 win over Southampton on Monday, but Saturday's match may be too soon for the two youngsters. With no major injuries to worry about and his starting XI clicking, Conte has no reasons to change things up.
Per the London Evening Standard, things are a little different for Spurs. Star defender Toby Alderweireld will miss out on the match with a knock, while Ben Davies is doubtful and Danny Rose deals with a suspension.
Add to that Jan Vertonghen's inconsistent form―he was dropped for the match against AS Monaco―and manager Mauricio Pochettino has some major shuffling to do in his defence.
Predicted Chelsea XI: Thibaut Courtois, Cesar Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Gary Cahill, Victor Moses, N'Golo Kante, Nemanja Matic, Marcos Alonso, Eden Hazard, Diego Costa, Pedro
Predicted Spurs XI: Hugo Lloris, Kyle Walker, Eric Dier, Kevin Wimmer, Jan Vertonghen, Victor Wanyama, Mousa Dembele, Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen, Heung-Min Son, Harry Kane
Preview
It's easy to build a narrative for Saturday's clash after what happened at Stamford Bridge last year. Spurs were desperate for a win against the Blues to keep their title hopes alive, and when that didn't happen, Rose and his team-mates were devastated, per the Daily Mail's Kieran Gill:
The Chelsea team Spurs will face on Saturday doesn't resemble last year's bunch of players. After a couple of shaky weeks, Conte has his side playing fantastic football in his 3-4-3 formation, taking the Blues to the top of the standings in the process.
The Blues haven't conceded in the Premier League since late September, and powered by the dynamic duo of Eden Hazard and Diego Costa, they've been scoring at a consistent pace as well.
The latter, in particular, has been in sensational form, per the Premier League's official Twitter account:
Chelsea's defence hasn't faced many top strikers in that span, and the prolific Harry Kane should give David Luiz and his fellow defenders the kind of challenge they've needed for some time. Spurs will have to win the midfield battle in order to get the ball to the England international, however, and that's easier said than done.
N'Golo Kante has quietly been just as good for his new club as he was for Leicester last season, and combined with Nemanja Matic, the Blues have a phenomenal defensive line sitting in front of their back three. Few clubs win the ball back at the same rate that Chelsea do.
Up front, Costa will relish the opportunity of going up against a makeshift Tottenham defence, with Vertonghen expected to slide outside and play as a left-back, a position he often plays for the Belgian national team.
It's far from ideal, and it could backfire on Saturday.
Score prediction: Chelsea 2-1 Tottenham