Will Chelsea extend winning run in Saturday's Battle of the Bridge?

The ‘Battle of the Bridge’, as it is now commonly known, will live long in Tottenham fans’ memories for all the wrong reasons. Spurs were 2-0 up at half time and in a strong position to secure their first league win at Stamford Bridge since 1990. Fast forward 45 minutes and an Eden Hazard inspired second half performance ensured Chelsea earned a point and saw their rivals’ title aspirations go up in smoke. “Lads, it’s 26 years since we last lost to Tottenham here. This isn’t the day that record is going to end,” Hazard revealed was said in the Chelsea dressing room at half time as he spoke of that heated London derby in west London ahead of Saturday's game. 

It was a day of infamy for Spurs, who despite kicking lumps out of their London rivals, have never properly recovered from the stalemate. Granted, Mauricio Pochettino’s side sit fifth in the Premier League this season, but since the 2-2 draw at Chelsea in May, Spurs have won 36.4% of 22 competitive matches, compared to a 59.1% ratio from the 22 games prior to the meeting. They have won just one of their last nine competitive games, that a 3-2 home win against West Ham, and look a shadow of the side that came close to domestic glory last term. 

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Conversely, Chelsea come into this tie in fine form. Antonio Conte made changes to the set up following the dismal 3-0 loss at Arsenal in September, with a three-man defence put in place, and the Blues are reaping the rewards. Chelsea have won their last six Premier League games, scoring 17 and conceding zero in that run. The switch to a 3-4-3 formation is having the desired effect for the hosts, who on Sunday ended a gameweek top of the Premier League for the first time since their 2014/15 title win. 

Their fine form means they are now second favourites to lift the Premier League trophy come May and, given their excellent showings of late, one wouldn’t bet against them extending their winning run to seven on Saturday. While the likes of Hazard and Diego Costa have been lauded for their efforts in the final third as a key factor for the performances, the midfield pair of Nemanja Matic and N’Golo Kante have been central to the ease with which Conte has moved from a four-man defence to a three-man backline. 

Kante, a summer signing from Leicester, was undeservedly overlooked for a Ballon d’Or nomination having been vital for the Foxes’ surprise title win, with his excellent form under Claudio Ranieri earning a big money switch to Chelsea. His arrival could well have spelt the end of Matic’s time at the club, but rather, Conte opted to retain the Serbian’s services and the club are benefitting as a result. The midfield duo work in tandem to shield Chelsea’s three-man defence and allow wide pair Marcos Alonso and Victor Moses to press forward and help the attack. 

It’s no wonder that Kante (401) and Matic (395) rank third and fourth for most tackles and interceptions combined in the last three Premier League seasons, with the former all the more impressive given he has made 49 top-flight appearances in that time to Matic’s 81. With Chelsea’s midfield pair in excellent form, the centre-circle at Stamford Bridge is the least hospitable real estate in London. Crucially, though, is how this resonates throughout the team. In the last six games, opponents have had just nine shots on target, all of which Thibaut Courtois has stopped to continue their assent to the summit. 

Given their current run, the Blues should be more than confident of keeping Spurs’ toothless attack at bay. Of the last seven goals Pochettino’s side have scored in all competitions, five have been from the penalty spot, with the other two both simple tap ins for Harry Winks and Harry Kane against West Ham. Conversely, it’s vital Spurs don’t go all guns blazing in pursuit of victory. Only Liverpool (30) have scored more Premier League goals than Chelsea (27) this season and with Hazard, Costa and Pedro in fine form, they would be foolish to try and attack the hosts on a whim. 

It only increases the importance of Victor Wanyama and Mousa Dembele ahead of Saturday’s match up. The former has impressed upon his summer arrival from Southampton, while the latter infamously earned himself a six-match suspension for an eye gouge on Costa in the aforementioned 2-2 draw. Wanyama has added steel to the midfield with an average of 2.4 tackles per game the third most of all Spurs players, a parameter Dembele (2.7) ranks second in. However, while the Belgian is effective at robbing the opposition of possession, his best trait is to maximise his physical stature to carry the ball forward. 

Dembele’s average of 3.7 successful dribbles per game is the fourth best of all Premier League players this season, while a 92.1% success rate is the best of the 117 players to attempt 50 or more dribbles in England’s top tier since the start of last term. Chelsea know that if they can limit Dembele’s influence, their chances of success increase significantly. Either way, the midfield battle at Stamford Bridge on Saturday is expected to be as fiercely contested as they come. Dominate this area of the pitch and a victory for either side is the likely outcome.