Chelsea vs Tottenham: A gruelling inter-city rivalry in recent seasons
Andre Villas-Boas, currently helming Tottenham, has also managed Chelsea in the past
Matchday 6 of Premier League promises thrilling action as White Hart Lane gets ready to host another hugely anticipated London derby. Clashes between the two Premier League giants have never been short of talking points. It is a fixture that has seldom disappointed in throwing up intriguing subplots over the years, and this season it is all the more awaited.
Mourinho vs Villas-Boas. The Head Coach vs His Protege. This has been talked about a lot, but fact remains that the battle has to be won on the pitch and only there itself.
The encounters between the two London sides never fail to not impress. The magnitude or the necessities of winning by both teams vary, but there has always been an extra pinch of frantic keenness to be one up over their neighbouring rivals.
Over the past few years, notably since the start of the century Chelsea-Tottenham rivalry has gained huge significance. With each outcome hugely documented, the consequences of it for both teams were also, at times, highly contrasting.
In a total of 41 matches in the Premier League era, Chelsea have had the upper hand in terms of wins, with 23 wins under their belt compared to Tottenham’s 3. Fifteen games have seen both teams grab a point each.
Recalling the past 5 fixtures featuring the two teams, one should not place his bet on a stalemate. Plenty of goals have been scored when these sides have met, and Saturday’s fixture promises anything but a goal-less draw.
Here’s a look at the past 5 games between the two London teams:
May 8, 2013- Chelsea 2-2 Tottenham
Ramires of Chelsea after scoring his team’s second goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge on May 8, 2013 in London
This match was probably bigger than the Blues’ Europa League final against Benfica a week later.
A win and Chelsea would have all but secured a place in the 2013-14 Champions League. They would be six points above their rivals- who then sat fifth in the table – with two games remaining. And with a plus-16 better goal difference, it would have been difficult for Spurs to overturn that deficit.
A loss, however, and suddenly the race for the top-four spot could have become an even bigger game of luck, with nerves of Chelsea, Spurs and Arsenal firmly put on the line.
With all these possibilities, it was almost forgotten that the match also marked Andre Villas-Boas’ return to Stamford Bridge for the first time since he was fired as manager last March.
The teams drew 2-2 at Stamford Bridge with Oscar opening the scoring after 10 minutes and Emmanuel Adebayor getting the equaliser after 26 minutes. Ramires put Chelsea ahead again after 39 minutes, but Gylfi Sigurdsson scored 10 minutes from the end to share the spoils.
In the end it was for enough Chelsea to grab third spot. Not so much for Totthenham though as they were left gasping as Arsenal sneaked in the fourth position, a result that left Tottenham on the fringes of Europe’s elite.