Class thread THFC...looking forward to Thursday, but don't mind admitting to being a bit nervous about it in all honesty
Bollux it says underneath Luiz and Ramires sat out the training sessions aswell, better hope all 3 will be fit. What the **** would we do if all 3 are out? He'd have to call Alex back up wouldn't he?
Doubt they'll all be out, more than likely they'll all be playing and just a precaution to sit them out.
Spurs & Chelsea from season 1965-66... please log in to view this image please log in to view this image
This team made me a core Blue! Harry Medhurst/Albert Murray/ Marvin Hinton/John Mortimore/The King of SB/John Phillips/The Cat/Chopper/Ken Shellito/Eddie McCreadie/Johnnny Boyle/ Tommy Knox/Barry Bridges/George Graham// Terry Venables/ Peter Housewife/Bobby Tambling/Johnny Hollins. Heroes--each and every one of em!
I'm not quite sure what point you are trying to make here Ensil. I dont want spoil a nice exchange we've had with some of your more reasonable colleagues, but I have the detail in front of me that says Chelsea finished ahead of Spurs 6-4 in the 10 years of the decade 60/61 to 69/70!
Nicely intended thread, lots of good natured comments and memories going on and a big tip of the hat to the OP... Look out...oh no..it was too good to be true..here comes Ensil
What a game this is going to be. Yes we've only just passed a third of the way through the season but this game is a must win for both and could have major implications on how the season will pan out for both sides. For natural reasons I hope we stuff you but I'm hoping it's a good game too. Evening games against our rivals always seem to have a great buzz down the Lane. Going to be some key battles - Drogba vs Ledley (if he can make two games in four days), Sturridge vs Benny, Lampard and Mata vs Sandro and Parker, Modric and Rafa vs Ramires (if fit) and Romeu, Bale (if fit) vs Ivanovic, Ade vs Terry. Both teams in good form, has all the ingredients to be a game of the season contender in my opinion. Predictions guys? I'm going 2-1/ 2-0 to us. Rafa and Walker our scorers. I would say all the best but I'd be lying
Mark Lawrenson has gone for a 1-1 draw, which is a reasonable prediction for a neutral. In the past, Spurs would have taken a draw against Chelsea with both hands, but things have moved on for us in the past few seasons. So much so that I think dropping two points against Chelsea at the Lane now would be seen as a something of a disappointment for most Spurs fans. I'm going for a very tight 2-1 win for Spurs.
TEAM NEWS Tottenham hope to welcome Gareth Bale back after he missed the win over Sunderland with an ankle problem. Jermain Defoe is rated as doubtful, while Aaron Lennon definitely misses out due to a hamstring tear. Chelsea await news on whether captain John Terry will be fit after he jarred his Achilles and was forced to limp out of training. The Brazilian pair of David Luiz and Ramires also missed training earlier in the week but are expected to be fit. MATCH PREVIEW The days when Chelsea took to calling White Hart Lane 'Three Point Lane' following an extraordinary run of results against Tottenham are long gone. It is six years since the Blues won at Spurs' ground in the league and, given the two sides' respective displays so far this season, Harry Redknapp's team will go into the match as favourites. Continue reading the main story After all, this is Tottenham's second-best start to a season in their 129-year history, surpassed only by their double-winning team of 1960-61. There were fears that defeat to Stoke in their previous game could derail their start, but Sunday's resolute win over Sunderland gave further credence to Sir Alex Ferguson's belief that Tottenham have been the top-flight's most impressive team this season. For a team that relies on pace from the wings, being deprived of Gareth Bale before kick-off and then losing fellow wideman Aaron Lennon midway through the first-half could have left Spurs in the lurch. But a tactical reshuffle from Redknapp proved to be a masterstroke and Roman Pavlyuchenko stepped off the bench to score the winner. After their crucial win over Manchester City, Chelsea were brought back down to earth with a bump as strugglers Wigan nicked a late draw. Every step forward that Andre Villas-Boas takes in the early stages of his managerial career at Chelsea seems to be followed by one back. Lose at Tottenham and any dreams of handing demanding owner Roman Abramovich the title in his first season at Stamford Bridge will seemingly be all but gone. One player Abramovich will be admiring from the stands will be Tottenham's Luka Modric, for whom the clubs fought out a long and protracted transfer battle this summer. Tottenham won and the Croatian must now be feeling quite glad that his move was vetoed by Spurs chairman Daniel Levy, given the turmoil and unrest that has beset the Blues this season. MATCH FACTS Head-to-head Chelsea have not won at White Hart Lane in their last five visits since a 2-0 victory in 2005. Prior to that they had gone 17 league matches undefeated at White Hart Lane, a run that stretched back to August 1987. Tottenham went an English record 32 league games without a win in this fixture until a 2-1 victory at White Hart Lane in November 2006. Victory for Tottenham would be their 50th of all time over Chelsea in all competitions. Chelsea have 60 wins. Tottenham The 1956/57 season is the only previous time Tottenham have won 11 and drawn one of their first 15 matches. That season they finished second, eight points behind Manchester United's 'Busby Babes'. Only once have they started a season better than this - the double-winning campaign of 1960-61. Each of Roman Pavlyuchenko's last four Premier League goals have been scored from outside the box, after none of his first 16 were. Against Sunderland, Tottenham failed to have a shot on target in the first half of a home game in the league for the first time since August 2008 (1-2 v Sunderland). Tottenham have conceded 997 goals in Premier League history. Chelsea Four of the last six goals Chelsea have conceded in the league have come after the 85th minute. Daniel Sturridge has scored eight league goals this season - double that of Didier Drogba and Fernando Torres combined. Chelsea have used all three permitted substitutions in every league match this season, the only team in the top flight to do so. Didier Drogba needs three goals to total 100 in the Premier League for the Blues, and just one to total 150 for the club in all competitions.
