Tottenham Hotspur vs Chelsea: 5 players who could decide the outcome | Premier League 2019-20

In one of the biggest games in the Premier League this weekend, Frank Lampard’s Chelsea head to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to take on their London rivals. There is, of course, the added bonus of facing off with their former boss Jose Mourinho – who led them to three Premier League titles.

Spurs have seen a renaissance of sorts since Mourinho’s arrival in November, winning 4 of 5 Premier League games. They now sit in fifth place – just one behind Chelsea – and can move to 4th with a victory over the weekend.

This is a huge game with big ramifications for the Premier League, and here are 5 players who could decide the outcome.

#1 Dele Alli

Dele Alli's form has improved greatly since the arrival of Mourinho

Perhaps no other Tottenham player has been rejuvenated under the reign of Mourinho as much as Dele Alli. The England midfielder has been moved further up the pitch by the Portuguese boss and the results have been astonishing, as he’s suddenly found the kind of form that made him one of Europe’s most exciting talents a couple of years ago.

Alli has scored 4 goals since the arrival of Mourinho and has also made 3 assists; his goals against Bournemouth and Manchester United were among the best of the season thus far. With Chelsea’s defensive issues in mind, Alli will definitely be looking to pick holes in the back-line of the Blues this weekend.

To add to that is the fact that he’s got history against Chelsea – it was his brace in April 2018 that handed Spurs their first win at Stamford Bridge since 1990, and he also opened the scoring against them in last season’s 3-1 win. So if Lampard’s men need to stop any Spurs player, it is Alli.

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#2 Tammy Abraham

Tammy Abraham is Chelsea's top goalscorer this season

Of all of the young academy graduates introduced into Chelsea’s first team by Frank Lampard, none have been as impressive as striker Tammy Abraham. He’s taken to playing at the upper levels of the Premier League like a duck to water, and is currently the Blues’ top scorer with a total of 13 goals in all competitions.

Sunday could offer Abraham a unique opportunity too, as it’s his chance to outshine his England teammate Harry Kane – the man ahead of him in the queue for a starting berth for the Three Lions. If he can outscore and outplay Kane in this fixture, Gareth Southgate’s eyes would almost certainly be opened.

This will also be a good chance for Abraham to prove that he can score goals against the Premier League’s top sides and not just the strugglers. Of his 11 league goals thus far, just 3 – his hat-trick against Wolves in September – have come against sides challenging in the upper part of the league.

A goal or two against Tottenham would buck that trend, and prove his elite-level qualities further.

#3 Harry Kane

Harry Kane has scored 29 goals in London derbies

While Dele Alli has earned most of the plaudits since Jose Mourinho’s takeover at Tottenham, it’s still clear that their most dangerous goal threat remains England captain Harry Kane. Kane has had a mixed start to 2019-20 by his lofty standards, but even so, he’s still Tottenham’s leading goalscorer with a total of 15 in all competitions.

Chelsea will need to be even more wary of Kane due to his ridiculous record of scoring in London derbies. His goal against West Ham in November took his total to 29 goals in 46 London derbies, and he has history against Chelsea too, scoring a brilliant long-range strike against the Blues at Wembley last season.

Can Frank Lampard’s struggling defence – which has come under fire recently after conceding 8 goals in their past 5 Premier League fixtures – really deal with Kane at his deadly best? It’s a big question, and one that could well decide the outcome of Sunday’s match.

If they can’t stop Kane, the Blues are likely to come away empty-handed.

#4 Jorginho

Jorginho could control proceedings from the middle of the park

Despite their improved form under Jose Mourinho, Tottenham have still come under the scanner for a few reasons - one of which is their choice of midfield combinations. The Portuguese boss has deployed Eric Dier and Moussa Sissoko as a pairing in the last two Premier League games, but many believe they may struggle against a higher-level side due to their lack of ability on the ball.

For Chelsea that could be a major boon, as in the form of Italy’s Jorginho they have one of the most talented players on the ball in the entire Premier League. Jorginho came under criticism last season – and it was by pressuring him that Tottenham were able to break the Blues down en route to their 3-1 win at Wembley – but this season he’s been dynamic in possession, setting up more attacks and creating more goals.

If the Italian can consistently keep possession in the centre of the park and keep Chelsea’s game ticking over with his metronomic passing, then Spurs may find it hard to both stop the Blues’ attacks and start their own. Mourinho may want to consider deploying Harry Winks – Tottenham’s own metronome – in this match, or risk Jorginho dominating proceedings in midfield.

#5 Toby Alderweireld

Toby Alderweireld's long passes could be dangerous for Chelsea's defence

If they want to win this fixture, Tottenham’s defence will have to be at the top of its game - something that hasn’t really been the case during the majority of 2019-20. Since the arrival of Mourinho, however, the Spurs defence has looked a little stronger, and Belgium’s Toby Alderweireld in particular has seen an improvement in form.

Alderweireld seems to be the biggest benefactor of Mourinho’s decision to switch to a more direct way of playing. His long balls from the centre of defence are amongst the best in the Premier League, and Spurs fans witnessed how dangerous they can be when the Belgian set up two goals for Dele Alli in the recent win over Bournemouth.

It’s also likely that Alderweireld will be tasked with attempting to prevent the dangerous Tammy Abraham from holding the ball up during Chelsea’s attacks. And that's not an easy job to do given the England striker has scored 11 Premier League goals.

But if he can keep Abraham quiet and also contribute to Spurs’ attacks, the Belgian could be key to them winning the game.