3 reasons why Chelsea will defeat Tottenham Hotspur

The city of London will be split this Sunday with daggers drawn at each other as Chelsea take on Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge in an enticing Premier League derby.

With only eight more rounds of fixtures to go, the race to the top four is hotting up and even if both sides aren't really in the title race at this juncture of the season, each have their own motives to enter the tie.

Whilst the Blues stare at a distinct possibility of finishing outside Champions League places, the Lillywhites aim to finish as the 'best among the rest' in what is a three horse-race along with Manchester United and Liverpool. A victory on Sunday would a world of good for the winners' cause.

However, on paper at least, the hosts Chelsea appear to be the stronger of the two sides. Here are three reasons why.

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#1 Tottenham's long-standing Stamford Bridge hoodoo

Spurs haven't won at the Bridge in the last 28 years

Irrespective of a team's stature, form and position, there is often a ground where they regularly struggle; football grounds where all the theories and odds go out of the window and the visiting team heads back without a win.

Manchester City at Anfield, Everton at the Emirates, Liverpool at Old Trafford are some of the examples in the Premier League. Tottenham Hotspur, on their part, have one such bogey place in Stamford Bridge where they haven't picked up a win since February 1990.

Regardless of the team's shape and build-up entering the tie, Spurs have found life difficult at the SW6 where they haven't come away victorious in the last 25 league games.

Mauricio Pochettino knows this very well - he oversaw his team squander a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 in 2016 in what was the best chance to break the duck. He now stares at the prospect of another disappointment as history looks clearly on Chelsea's side.

#2 Chelsea's European hopes hang by the balance

Antonio Conte has the Sword of Damocles hanging over his head

In what has transpired to be another limp defence of the Premier League title, Chelsea stand on the threshold of missing a Champions League place too, a prospect that would really spell the end for manager Antonio Conte.

The Italian gaffer is widely touted to leave London at the end of the season as the shadows of the Azzurri loom large. But it is only speculation at this point and he might survive another season at the helm.

But for that, Conte will have to salvage at least a Champions League spot (and even the FA Cup maybe) to dissuade the ruthless Roman Abramovich from booting him out and this is where the rubber meets the road.

Of the 8 games left on their fixture list, the visit of Liverpool in the penultimate matchday is the only other challenging tie left for Chelsea, who are firm favourites to nick maximum points from everyone else.

Currently, they trail Spurs by 5 points, and a victory on Sunday would not only trim the gap on fourth place but also get the much-needed boost in pushing for a top-four finish in the home stretch of the campaign.

#3 The Harry Kane conundrum

Harry Kane will be missed for Spurs on this crucial trip

Harry Kane's meteoric rise in the Premier League has coincided with Tottenham Hotspurs' resurgence as title contenders in the last two seasons or so. He is one of the instrumental reasons for his side's incredible results in recent years and has also claimed the coveted Golden Boot in each of the last two seasons.

So there is no denying Kane's influence on this team and his absence from the trip to Fulham Road is nothing short of a psychological blow to Spurs.

Having accounted for almost 41% of the league goals so far this term, the stats show how much they thrive in his scoring prowess and without him, Pochettino would be devoid of a genuine No.9.

Son Heung-min is most likely to fill in his boots, but the Korean, for all his rich vein of form, hasn't enjoyed much success in that role nor brings the same level of verve that Kane does, going forward.

Even if the attacking triumvirate of Son, Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli look fearsome enough, the absence of Kane comes with its own bearings and it might hurt them a bit.