Will Tottenham regain top spot in the London derby?

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club continue to ride a wave of success these days and weeks. After ten matchdays in the English Premier League, the Lily Whites are still unbeaten and have 26 out of a possible 30 points to their name. Nevertheless, Spurs had to temporarily surrender their lead in the table to Manchester City on Saturday. However, they will have the chance to reclaim their place in the sun again on Monday evening at the end of matchday 11.

If Tottenham’s home win against Chelsea comes true, manager Ange Postecoglou’s team would climb back to the top of the table and seamlessly build on the great performances of recent matches. The bookmakers believe such a scenario is by no means out of the question and are offering odds in the region of 2.20 on a three-pointer in the eagerly awaited London derby for the home side, who have won all of their matches in front of their own fans so far this league season.

On paper, the task against the Blues will of course not be a walkover, but the former Champions League winners have also had their problems with consistency this season. They have only managed a meagre one point from their last two PL matches. Moreover, Pochettino’s side are only twelfth in the table and already have 14 points fewer than their in-form city rivals. Ahead of the Tottenham v Chelsea encounter, the prediction of a positive result for the hosts is therefore obvious

Tottenham – Statistics & current form

After the ongoing transfer posse surrounding Harry Kane, which ultimately led to the England captain’s departure to FC Bayern, anyone who predicted that the chronically title-less Spurs would suddenly be competing for the Premier League title in 2023/24 would probably have been wearily laughed at. In reality, however, Tottenham have made the best start to a Premier League season since 1960/61. 26 points after ten matchdays is an outstanding figure that has elevated them into the select circle of title contenders.

This outstanding result is closely linked to coach Ange Postecglou, who the Londoners were able to lure away from Celtic Glasgow. The Greek-born Australian-by-choice has taken the hearts of the fans by storm with a very respectable style of play, great results and his outstanding relaxed attitude.

Postecoglou has also become the coach with the most points in Premier League history after his first ten games in charge. If the double 1X odds work out between Tottenham and Chelsea on Monday evening, the 58-year-old will become only the third PL coach ever to remain unbeaten in his first eleven league games

Son steps out of Kane’s shadow and leads the way

In our eyes, the chances of the Lily Whites picking up a point are pretty good, as the unbeaten Spurs have been very convincing in front of a home crowd in particular. All four home games so far have been victorious. Two goals were always enough to secure three points. With Liverpool (2:1) and Manchester United (2:0), quality heavyweights have also been brought to their knees. It is quite possible that Chelsea Football Club will also feel THFC’s new strength on Monday evening.

The capital club’s current form is certainly impressive. Tottenham could win five league games in a row for the first time since December 2018. Heung-Min Son, who has not only taken over the captain’s armband following Kane’s departure but also top spot in the internal goalscoring charts, should help. The South Korean has already scored eight goals this season. Only a certain Erling Haaland has scored more often (12). The former Bundesliga player has scored four goals in his last three London derbies for Spurs

Predicted Tottenham line-up:

Chelsea – Statistics & current form

After last season’s utterly disastrous campaign, the Chelsea Football Club management had ambitious plans for the new season. Every stone was turned over in the summer and many personnel changes were made. Both in terms of players and coaches. Desired candidate Mauricio Pochettino was convinced to sign on, but has not yet been able to bring about a turnaround after ten match days. As in the previous year, there is a lack of consistency, offensive penetration and, ultimately, good results.

The Blues have only won three league games so far. Four draws and three defeats round off a sobering record that is currently only good enough for twelfth place. The past two weekends have also been tough for the Londoners. While the 2-2 draw at home to Arsenal appeared to be a step in the right direction, the previous week saw a 2-0 defeat at home to Brentford in which Chelsea once again lacked much of what coach Pochettino demands

Chelsea are one of the weakest PL teams in 2023

It may also simply be down to the inexperience of the young squad, in which Deivid Washington became the ninth professional under 21 to make his debut in the PL this season. No other club gives its U21 squad players more minutes than Chelsea. It is therefore not surprising that their performances are subject to certain fluctuations. At the top, the Blues can keep up with all opponents; on bad days, however, they can also lose to any team…

The fact that many bookmakers are leaning towards the home team in the Tottenham v Chelsea clash is also due to overall impressions. In the calendar year 2023, for example, the current twelfth-placed team lost 15 (!) league games – more than any other first division team. Since the dismissal of Graham Potter in April, no league rival has celebrated fewer victories than the former Henkelpott winners.

In view of this, it is worth considering placing a bet, without taking any major risks, that the home side will keep at least one point at home and score a maximum of four goals in the course of the match. In six of the ten CFC games in the English top flight, the under 2.5 would even have gone through, which is why the team that takes a 1-0 lead on Monday evening should also have a good chance of three points. The 1X & Under 4.5 can be played at Betano, for example.

Predicted Chelsea line-up:

Tottenham – Chelsea head-to-head comparison / H2H result

This is the 147th time the London city rivals have faced each other in the country’s top flight. Chelsea lead the direct comparison with 63 wins, 47 defeats and 36 draws. However, Tottenham have bagged the majority of their victories at home (27). The most recent head-to-head in February 2023 also went to Spurs with a 2-0 win. It was the first victory after eight consecutive winless matches against the Blues. For the first time since 2018, the Lily Whites could even celebrate back-to-back Premier League victories against Chelsea

Tottenham – Chelsea betting tip

For Chelsea coach Mauricio Pochettino, the visit to Tottenham Hotspur Football Club is a very special one. For many years, the Argentine shaped an extremely successful era at Spurs and was on the touchline for the club more often (202) than any other coach in the Premier League. Now he is returning to the north of the capital with another employer and is seen as an outsider.

Lower odds are being offered on a home win between Tottenham and Chelsea, which is understandable in our eyes. After all, the in-form Lily Whites, who have picked up 26 out of a possible 30 points so far and have also won all four PL home games, face the young, inconsistent Blues, who have recently recorded better results away from home than at home, but in their current form are still a step below Tottenham

We are therefore betting on a home win in the Tottenham vs. Chelsea derby with a stake of six units.