Premier League 2019-20: 3 things that will decide Tottenham vs Chelsea

Tottenham Hotspur host Chelsea this Sunday in a battle for fourth place. Tottenham look re-invigorated under Jose Mourinho, while Chelsea are facing a slump having lost 4 of their last 5 games.

This London derby pits a desperate Frank Lampard against his former manager Mourinho. Both need a win to improve their top 4 prospects.

Here, we look at three things that would probably decide the outcome of this match.

3. Battle between Mourinho and his protege

Lampard won the previous battle against Mourinho

Lampard got one up on Mourinho by knocking Manchester United out of the League cup last year. This game is different though; Mourinho has put his difficult past behind and has invigorated Tottenham since his return.

The Portuguese has instilled a winning mentality into a team that had just a single away win since January. Spurs are playing like a Mourinho team – they win even if they seemingly don't deserve to.

After 4 losses in the last 5 games, the last thing that Lampard would have wanted was a match against his mentor Mourinho. Tottenham are punishing teams on the counterattack, and Lampard needs to fix his side’s soft underbelly if he doesn’t want to be schooled by Mourinho again.

Lampard has shown that he is a man who takes the game to the opposition; Chelsea went toe-to-toe with both Liverpool and City this season. As valiant as they were though, the young side couldn’t sustain it for 90 minutes and ended up losing.

"The Chelsea game last month was the one where we struggled the most, They were the side who caused us the most problems by far, even though we won." - Pep Guardiola

Tottenham are a different proposition, and Mourinho would gladly relinquish the ball and hit fast on the counter. Chelsea have looked their age this season, playing with youthful exuberance and naivety. But finishing in the top 4 is war, and it would be interesting to see if Lampard can teach his kids to battle hard.

2. Chelsea’s inconsistent youth

Chelsea's youth are suffering from a dip in form

Chelsea have struggled to break down teams which defend in a low block. Against Bournemouth at home, Chelsea’s Mount, Pulisic and Willian combined to produce just 52 passes and 3 dribbles.

In comparison, Eden Hazard alone produced 57 passes and 9 dribbles during the same fixture last season. But Chelsea’s dependence on Hazard was understandable because of the stature of the Belgian and his performances over the years.

It is probably too much to ask for Abraham to chip in with all the goals. Of the 31 goals by Chelsea in the PL, Abraham has scored 11, while Pulisic and Mount have scored five each. The latter two are facing a slump in form, and Abraham is having to put up with below-par service.

For all his hard work and technical ability, Willian doesn’t contribute enough goals or assists to be in a top team like Chelsea. He has never scored more than eight PL goals in a season over the last six years. Willian is hardly a player to depend upon for goals, and that puts undue pressure on the youth to perform consistently.

With their over-reliance on youth, Chelsea are unplayable when they are on song, but at other times they play like kids.

1. Chelsea’s defence

Chelsea FC v AFC Bournemouth - Premier League

Chelsea have let in 25 goals in their 17 games this season - which is as much as the number of goals Leicester and Liverpool combined have conceded. Fast counter-attacking teams have been a huge problem for Chelsea this season.

The speed of Moura, Son, Alli and Kane may prove too hot to handle for Chelsea. The Blues have not kept a clean sheet in their last seven games, and Tottenham’s attackers will be licking their lips looking at the underwhelming performances of Kepa Arrizabalaga and the rest of Chelsea’s defence.

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