Tottenham Hotspur vs Chelsea: 3 key battles to look out for | Premier League 2022-23
Tottenham Hotspur will host Chelsea in what could be billed as the Premier League game of the weekend. The game is scheduled to be played at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Sunday (February 26).
Antonio Conte's men have been quite decent in the league this season and have registered 42 points from 24 league games. They currently occupy fourth position in the league's standings.
The Blues, on the other hand, have been unbelievably poor despite hefty transfer spending over both the summer and winter windows. Graham Potter's men have only registered 31 points from 23 league games and occupy tenth position in the standings.
The importance of a victory for either of the two teams' can't be understated. Hence, this article will look at three key individual battles that could determine the outcome of this encounter.
Tottenham Hotspur vs Chelsea: 3 key battles
#3 Son Heung-min vs Reece James
Arguably one of the trickiest wingers in the Premier League, Son Heung-min is sharp and his attacking intuition is remarkable.
The South Korean forward has not been at his best this season but has netted four goals and registered three assists in 21 league appearances so far. However, his attacking instincts could be pivotal for Spurs in this encounter.
Heung-Min Son has now scored 140 goals for Tottenham Hotspur. Harry Kane (267) is the only active player with more for Spurs.
Milestone. ⭐ https://t.co/VsCda5NL6G
Monitoring his movements on the flank is a tough task as he can dribble past his opponent in quick succession. Hence, Reece James will have to keep him under close watch if he intends to silence Son in this clash.
James is sensible and his overall contributions in both attack and defense have been quite remarkable this season. It will, however, be interesting to see if he will silence Son in this showdown.
#2 Kai Havertz vs Eric Dier
Despite Chelsea's poor run of form that has obviously affected Kai Havertz's performance in attack, it can be stated that his presence remains crucial for the Blues in this clash.
The German international has netted five goals and registered one assist in 22 league appearances for Chelsea so far. The unique thing about Havertz is his ability to find space in front of goal. Hence, Eric Dier will have to keep him under close watch if he intends to keep him under wraps in this clash.
However, Dier is experienced and his defensive intuition has been decent so far. It remains to be seen if he will further increase Havertz's five-game goal drought.
#1 Harry Kane vs Thiago Silva
When you talk about in-form and outstanding strikers across Europe's major leagues this season, one of the names that comes to mind is Harry Kane.
The Englishman has been firing on all cylinders in attack in recent months. His attacking brilliance has seen him score 17 goals and register one assist in 23 league appearances so far.
3. Harry kane -
Tottenham Hotspur = 17 goals https://t.co/qvLXvtQkiQ
Monitoring his movements in attack is a tough task as he can drop deep and help in facilitating an attack.
Thiago Silva will definitely have to be highly defensively alert if he intends to stop Kane from finding the back of the net in this clash.
However, Silva is defensively experienced and his ball-winning proficiency is immense. Keeping Kane under wraps remains his key task in this highly anticipated London Derby.