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Jamie Carragher was full of praise for Chelsea as they beat London rivals Tottenham 1-0 in the Premier League.

Joao Pedro’s first-half goal was enough to separate the sides in north London and send Chelsea back into the top-four of the Premier League.

Brilliant work from Moises Caicedo created the opening for Pedro’s winner and Carragher described the £115m signing as an ‘absolute monster’ in Chelsea’s midfielder.

Chelsea had a number of chances to put the game to bed but did not require a second as Thomas Frank’s Spurs created very little, suffering yet another defeat at home.

Tottenham’s expected goals of 0.05 was their lowest in a Premier League game since Opta began collecting the data in 2012.

While Carragher was critical of ‘awful’ Spurs, he was impressed by Chelsea and reserved special praise for Caicedo.

‘This was one of those goal when it’s not about the goalscorer… it’s all about Caicedo,’ Carragher said on Sky Sports commentary. ‘He’s an absolute monster in midfield.

‘He makes challenge after challenge and basically gets Chelsea that goal. It’s absolutely fantastic from Caicedo and exactly what Chelsea have deserved.

‘I upset Chelsea fans – not for the first time – by saying Declan Rice was just ahead of this man [Caicedo]

‘But right now we are watching two of the best midfielders in world football, there’s no doubt about that. There’s no shame in being behind Rice, in my eyes. They’re both absolutely fantastic.’

Turning his attentions back to the game, Carragher added: ‘The difference between Chelsea and Tottenham on the ball is night and day.

‘Spurs were so poor going forward. They were awful. This is a big result for Chelsea, but lot for Thomas Frank to ponder. They have a big problem in this stadium.’

Ex-Tottenham midfielder Jamie Redknapp was also full of praise for Caicedo, insisting his performance against Spurs was ‘out of this world’.

‘When I look at Chelsea, at least there’s a bit of excitement and flair,’ Redknapp said. ‘Tottenham just look paceless.

‘They didn’t have any idea how to get up the pitch and it was just too easy for Chelsea.

‘If we analyse the Premier League this year there is just one outstanding side. Arsenal are head and shoulders above.

‘The rest are struggling. No-one is finding that consistency and that is why it is up for grabs for Chelsea this season.

‘They have confidence and there is an excitement about watching Chelsea, but I have to be honest, any team would have fancied their chances at Tottenham today.’

But Redknapp was hugely disappointed by his former club’s display, adding: ‘It didn’t look hard to play against Spurs tonight.

‘That was as easy as it gets. If it was a boxing match, they’d have stopped it. Tottenham were so poor.

‘I actually thought they’d have a real go tonight but that was one of the worst performances I’ve seen from Tottenham.

‘They have won three home games in the last year and I would probably put that as number one because if you flip it to some of the other games, like last season when they lost 4-3, at least they had a real go.

‘They got after teams, it could have gone either way and it was exciting. That today, they never laid a glove on Chelsea.

‘They had no idea to play out, they had no understanding and they were missing challenges. they made it so easy for Chelsea.’

Chelsea and Tottenham are both in Champions League action in midweek, with the former visiting Qarabag and the latter hosting Copenhagen.

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A thrilling London derby awaits this evening as Tottenham host Chelsea in the capital.

Three points separate the sides ahead of kick-off with a costly defeat at home to Sunderland last weekend seeing the Blues slip down to ninth place.

Spurs are flying under Thomas Frank but it is at home where they have had their biggest problems with their only two defeats this season coming in front of their own fans against Bournemouth and Aston Villa.

Tottenham are still without some key players across the squad today but do have their skipper Cristian Romero available again.

Chelsea meanwhile remain without Cole Palmer with Liam Delap also ruled out this evening thanks to his daft red card midweek.

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KICK-OFF! Tottenham 0-0 Chelsea

Here we go

Out onto the pitch the two teams come and kick-off is right around the corner. What has the next 90 minutes of action got in store for us?

Closing in on kick-off

Under ten minutes to go and the atmosphere is building nicely in north London. Here’s a reminder of the two starting XIs ahead of kick-off:

Spurs XI: Vicario; Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Spence; Palhinha, Bentancur; Kudus, Sarr, Bergvall; Kolo Muani.

Chelsea XI: Sanchez, Gusto, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella, Caicedo, James, Neto, Fernandez, Garnacho, Joao Pedro.

Could set-pieces prove key once again?

Only Arsenal (7) and Chelsea (6) have scored more Premier League goals from corners this season than Tottenham (5), while in the last two seasons only the Gunners (21) have more than Spurs (15).

More predictions

Here’s what Paul Merson and Harry Redknapp predicted ahead of this London derby:

Earlier in the afternoon

It’s full-time in five 3pm kick-offs – here’s how they ended:

Brighton 3-0 Leeds United

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

Crystal Palace 2-0 Brentford

Fulham 3-0 Wolves

Nottingham Forest 2-2 Manchester United

The visitors are in the building

When will Chelsea’s red-card run end?

It was another game, another red card for Enzo Maresca’s side in midweek, this time Liam Delap who was sent off after picking up two yellow cards off the bench.

It’s fair to say his boss was less than happy at full-time, calling it a ‘very stupid red card’.

‘It’s embarrassing when it’s a red card like today,’ Maresca added. ‘Two yellow cards in seven minutes. We can avoid both. It’s not good.

‘After the yellow card, I told him four or five times to stay calm. When he is on the pitch, he sometimes plays the game for himself and struggles to see the others around him.’

Spurs sorry recent record against the Blues

Never mind just last season, Tottenham’s poor form against Chelsea stretches far further back.

In fact, the north London side have just one win in their last 13 league meetings with Chelsea. Surely that has to change soon?

Last time out

Chelsea did the double over their London rivals last year, and it was Enzo Fernandez who scored the winner at Stamford Bridge when they last met towards the end of last season.

Tottenham vs Chelsea match odds

Tottenham: 2/1

Draw: 9/4

Chelsea: 5/4

*Odds provided by BOYLE Sports.

Alan Shearer’s prediction

Here’s what the former Newcastle striker predicted in his weekly Metro column:

This game is always a tough one to call, always a bit of spice, always really interesting, and always chucks up some incidents. We’ll have to wait and see, but with it being a London derby, I’m going to say a score draw in this one, and a point each.

One thing Chelsea can’t afford is another red card. Losing a player in these games can make a huge difference, but it wouldn’t surprise me because there’s always a bit of needle in this game.

Prediction – Draw

Romero and Simons benched as Joao Pedro leads the line for Chelsea

So, a few takeaways from the team news. James moves into central midfield to partner Caiedo, with Fernandez playing in the No10 role. Joao Pedro will lead the line for Chelsea.

Spurs, meanwhile, opt to bench Simons, while Romero is seemingly not fit enough to start. Sarr and Danso start in their place.

Tottenham confirmed lineup

Tottenham XI: Vicario; Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Spence; Palhinha, Bentancur; Kudus, Sarr, Bergvall; Kolo Muani.

Subs: Kinsky, Simons, Richarlison, Tel, Udogie, Romero, Johnson, Odobert, Scarlett.

Chelsea confirmed lineup

Chelsea XI: Sanchez, Gusto, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella, Caicedo, James, Neto, Fernandez, Garnacho,, Joao Pedro.

Subs: Jorgensen, Tosin, Acheampong, Hato, Lavia, Santos, Estevao, Gittens, Guiu.

Team news coming shortly

Tottenham have a slew of injuries to key first-team players, but key players like Kudus and Van de Ven will surely return to the XI after missing out on in midweek.

Chelsea, meanwhile, have another player suspended – this time Liam Delap after he was shown two yellow cards just minutes into his return from a long-term hamstring injury.

We’ll have confirmed lineups in just under five minutes.

Tottenham vs Chelsea TV channel

You can watch the match live on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event with streaming also available through the Sky Go app and NOW TV for subscribers.

Tottenham vs Chelsea kick-off time

Tottenham vs Chelsea takes place on Saturday 1 November with kick-off scheduled for 5:30pm.

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Chelsea make the trip across the capital to take on Tottenham in tonight’s headline act in the Premier League.

There were contrasting fortunes for these two in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night with the Blues surviving a late scare to beat Wolves with Tottenham crashing out after a 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United.

Despite the win, there was more frustration for Enzo Maresca with Liam Delap ruled out of today’s game as the result of his red card.

Delap was making his return from a hamstring injury in the second-half but two yellow cards in seven minutes saw him become the fifth Chelsea player to be sent off this season with Maresca labelling the striker’s dismissal as ‘stupid’ and ‘embarrassing’.

It means plans for Delap to return up front to move Joao Pedro to his preferred role off the striker are on ice for another week.

Marc Guiu could continue up top after starting against Sunderland, rested midweek against Wolves.

Cole Palmer remains unavailable as he continues his recovery from his persistent groin injury while Benoit Badiashile is out until December.

But in more positive news, Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez are both fit and available after nursing recent knocks. The pair were rested midweek, coming off the bench late on at Molineux.

Tottenham have once again been hit hard by injuries this season with Archie Gray their latest casualty, expected to be ruled out for a month.

Joao Palininha was deployed at centre-half against Newcastle in order to give Micky van der Ven a rest with Guglielmo Vicario and Wilson Odobert also missing out due to injury issues.

Vicario is available on Saturday against Chelsea with Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie also back from injury in what serves as a huge boost for the hosts.

Yves Bissouma and Dejan Kulusevski remain sidelined along with long-term absentee James Maddison.

Dominic Solanke meanwhile is continuing his recovery from minor ankle surgery with Ben Davies, Radu Dragusin and Kota Takai completing Tottenham’s list of unavailable players.

Tottenham XI to face Chelsea – Metro prediction

Thomas Frank has a big decision to make – while Romero and Udogie are available, no football since the last international break means there is a risk.

But in this fixture, the Spurs boss surely won’t leave his captain on the bench.

Chelsea XI to face Tottenham – Metro prediction

Delap’s suspension is a real spanner in the works but one positive for Maresca will be Alejandro Garnacho, Jamie Gittens and Estevao Willian all getting on the score sheet across the last two games.

Tottenham vs Chelsea TV channel and kick-off time

Tottenham vs Chelsea takes place on Saturday 1 November with kick-off scheduled for 5:30pm.

You can watch the match live on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event with streaming also available through the Sky Go app and NOW TV for subscribers.

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Paul Merson and Harry Redknapp have made contrasting predictions ahead of Saturday’s London derby between Tottenham and Chelsea.

Tottenham have just one win in their last 13 league meetings with Chelsea, and lost on both occasions to Enzo Maresca’s side under Ange Postecoglou last season.

But having made a solid start to their Premier League campaign under new boss Thomas Frank, Spurs will be hopeful of ending that miserable recent record in front of their home fans.

Chelsea, meanwhile, bounced back from their surprise defeat to Sunderland last weekend wih a midweek victory over Wolves in the Carabao Cup.

It was far from a perfect night for the Blues, though, who almost threatened to throw away a three-goal lead before continuing their troubling recent run of ill-discpline when Liam Delap was sent off after picking up two yellow cards in only seven minutes.

And previewing the clash for BetVictor, Redknapp said that the topsy-turvy nature of Chelsea’s performances this season has led him to side with a narrow 2-1 Tottenham win on Saturday.

‘What a game this is, and what a hard one to predict!’ he said. ‘Spurs had been a little bit out of form but that was a very impressive win away to Everton and that should give them a real lift.

‘A win here would be massive for them and add to what’s been a good start for Thomas Frank.

‘As for Chelsea, I just can’t make my mind up on them! A couple of weeks ago, they beat Liverpool and that felt like a big moment for them, and they go and lose to Sunderland at home last time out.

‘Another defeat here and there could be a bit of pressure on the players and of course, the gaffer. I’m picking Spurs, they just seem to be in a better place to me.’

Asked for his player to watch, Redknapp could look no further than Tottenham’s defensive rock Micky van de Ven, saying of the Dutch centre-back: ‘I’m not expecting him to score two again, but what a top player van de Ven is and when he’s at his best, Spurs are a very good side.’

Merson, meanwhile, believes that Chelsea could well edge the contest and win 2-1, although he suggested that Maresca’s side could get caught out if the Italian did not get his team selection right in wide attacking areas.

Writing in his Sportskeeda column, Merson said: ‘Chelsea rested a few of their main players for the cup game against Wolves and luckily they got through. Tottenham will be disappointed about not making it to the next round like Chelsea after their loss to Newcastle.

‘I don’t think Spurs are a great team when they play at home. If you look at the league table based on results at home and away, it paints an accurate picture. Tottenham are 17th in the league if you only count results from their home games, while they are at the top if you consider just games on the road!

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‘Thomas Frank will be happy with Spurs’ result against Everton last weekend. I know it was 3-0 but Guglielmo Vicario still made some top draw saves in that game.

‘This is the biggest game of the season for both teams. After this, Chelsea face Wolves and Burnley in the league. If they can beat Spurs this weekend, they will be confident of going into them games feeling like they can make it three straight wins before the international break.

‘Chelsea must start with Pedro Neto in this game. It’s a big pitch at Tottenham and he’s quick as anything. I’m almost certain Estevao will also start the game. Both wingers must track back though.

‘Spurs have full-backs who love to go forward, so if the Chelsea wingers do not help out in defence, their team will get overrun. I expect Enzo Maresca to make his team selection based on who he trusts more to do the defensive work down the flanks, otherwise Chelsea are in trouble.’

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Thomas Frank has confirmed that three Tottenham stars have recovered from injury and are ready for the huge Premier League clash against Chelsea.

Spurs could move up to second in the table and within just two points of leaders Arsenal when they host their London rivals on Saturday evening.

Though they crashed out of the Carabao Cup to holders Newcastle United on Wednesday, Tottenham’s league form is very impressive. No team has scored more (19) and only Arsenal can better their seven goals conceded.

That’s despite Frank having no less than 11 players in the treatment room including captain Cristian Romero whose been out for the last few games with a groin issue.

But in a very timely boost, the centre-back is now fit and ready to play against Chelsea, as are Destiny Udogie and Wilson Odobert after recovering from a knee injury and a side strain respectively.

The positive news is that Romero, Destiny and Wilson are available for selection for Saturday,’ Frank said in his pre-match press conference.

On Romero, the manager added: “Very aware of trying to be able to make the best possible decisions. In the end I’ll get a lot of decision from the medical staff but in the end it’s always on me. If a player breaks down, it’s on me.

‘If he was fit enough, he’d have been involved Wednesday. He’s ready to be involved tomorrow, let’s see how much.’

Additionally, summer signing Kota Takai is close to returning to training but striker Dominic Solanke will not be back before the international break.

‘Very aware that we want him back,’ Frank said of Solanke. ‘Hopefully touch wood have him back and no setbacks.

‘We are very aware of doing it the right way. So it’s going in the right direction. He’ll not be available before the international break – that’s the status now.’

Tottenham take on arch-rivals Arsenal in their first match after the November break, with Mikel Arteta hopeful that several Gunners will be back from long-term injuries for the North London Derby.

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Frank’s focus is purely on the Blues right now though, adding: ‘A game like this, under the floodlights against Chelsea. I can’t wait for it.

‘It will be a fantastic occasion. We need the fans behind us. The best clubs are united in good times and bad times.

‘Enzo [Maresca] has done an amazing job at Chelsea. Competing on more than one front. Won the Club World Cup and had a good start.

‘They’re clear in what they want to achieve and how they play. It’ll be another nice Premier League challenge against a good team.’

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Nani believes Tottenham’s Joao Palhinha would be an ideal fit for Manchester United’s midfield.

United targeted a move for Palhinha last year but the 30-year-old ended up joining Bayern Munich in a £47.4 million deal from Fulham.

But after struggling to secure a regular role under Vincent Kompany, Bayern allowed Palhinha to return to the Premier League as Spurs signed him on loan with an option to buy at the end of the season for £27m.

Palhinha has made an immediate impact with Thomas Frank’s side and Nani, who played alongside the Portugal international at Sporting CP, believes the midfielder ‘has ‘fits into Man United’s DNA’.

‘Joao Palhinha is a great player. I played with him at Sporting, where he was growing and learning a lot. After a few years, he became one of the best players in his position,’ Nani told Covers.com.

‘He’s very strong and talented at winning and recovering the ball, and tackling. He’s also improved his forward play, scoring goals, connecting with the team, and moving forward with the ball. He’s become a complete player in his position.

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‘I think he’s a great player and can do really well for Tottenham. He had an opportunity with Bayern and we’re not sure what will happen next season, but he’s a player who can play for any team in the world. He just needs to be consistent and fit, as injuries sometimes cause problems. I trust he will have a fantastic career.

‘He is a player with energy, with power to recover balls and to fight, that is something that fits into Man United’s DNA.

‘Having players who are able first to fight on the field, like to recover the ball and challenge opponents to help the team win games.

‘You can’t give your opponents any time in the Premier League and he has the energy and physical abilities to be such an asset for anyone.’

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Alan Shearer’s latest Premier League predictions have been revealed as Nottingham Forest host Manchester United and Arsenal travel to Burnley.

The Red Devils have won their last three games in a row and face a Forest side stuck in the relegation zone after an abysmal start to the season.

Arsenal are top of the table and take on a Burnley team full of confidence with Scott Parker’s men winning their last two Premier League matches.

There’s a London derby between Tottenham and Chelsea while Liverpool lock horns with Aston Villa and Manchester City play AFC Bournemouth.

Premier League legend Shearer has revealed his Gameweek 10 predictions for Metro – here’s what the Betfair ambassador had to say…

Nottingham Forest vs Manchester United

It was a poor result for Sean Dyche against Bournemouth, especially after doing so well in Europe. It will be a rocking atmosphere at Forest, as always when Man United come to town.

United are looking for results to keep the good run going and they’ve had a week off due to being knocked out of the Carabao Cup. I think Forest will get something out of the game, but I’m not sure they’ll win, so I’m going to say a draw.

I think it’s too early to say they’re the real deal and that United can finish in the top four or five. If they can continue this in a month’s time, I might change my mind, but let’s see what the next couple of weeks bring, and then we can judge whether they’re certainly improving.

Prediction – Draw

Burnley vs Arsenal

There’s hope for Burnley, because they’re at home, and they will make it tough. We saw what they did to Liverpool earlier on in the season. Liverpool had to leave it late at Turf Moor.

They will try and sit deep and frustrate them and hit them on the break. They got a great result last weekend, scoring in the last minute at Wolves.

We always said that that game was going to be key. So, for them it’s a bit of a free hit, I guess. Not many other people other than Burnley fans will be expecting anything out of it. But because of the run that Arsenal are on, because of how mean they are defensively, and the squad that they’ve got it won’t bother them a bit.

Whether they win from a set piece or a deflected shot, whatever it is. They played a completely new back four in the Carabao Cup and still got a clean sheet.

They’re flying in the Champions League, they’re flying in the league, the club is full of confidence, and they look like the real deal this year

Prediction – Arsenal win

Brighton v Leeds

Leeds got the result they wanted last time out. There’s not a lot between the teams in terms of points, but I do think Brighton at home will be expected to beat Leeds.

We’ve seen some unexpected results this season, but I would go for a home win on this one.

Prediction – Brighton win

Crystal Palace vs Brentford

Both teams have had a brilliant few days, with Brentford winning last weekend and Palace getting into the quarter-finals. I would just edge with Palace because of the belief in the club after that big cup win. Even though they played a strong team at Anfield, I’m going to say Palace win.

It’s early doors for Brentford, there were one or two iffy results, but they seem to have turned things around, and there seems to be a bit of belief there now. It’s amazing what good results do throughout a club. They’ve had a great few days, but I guess it might end at Palace.

Prediction – Crystal Palace win

Fulham vs Wolves

You could classify this as a six-pointer. Fulham scraped through to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals, and they got done at Newcastle in the last minute. Wolves are struggling and it would worry me seeing them go away from home again. I would go for a Fulham home win here.

If Wolves get beaten this weekend, the answer would be yes, I think they’ll be too far gone. Form-wise, there’s nothing suggesting they can win, but you know what football’s like.

Prediction – Fulham win

Spurs vs Chelsea

This game is always a tough one to call, always a bit of spice, always really interesting, and always chucks up some incidents. We’ll have to wait and see, but with it being a London derby, I’m going to say a score draw in this one, and a point each.

One thing Chelsea can’t afford is another red card. Losing a player in these games can make a huge difference, but it wouldn’t surprise me because there’s always a bit of needle in this game.

Prediction – Draw

Liverpool vs Aston Villa

You’ve got one team in terrible form, losing six of their last seven, and one team in really good form winning six of their last seven. There’s an argument for both sides. It really is a massive game, but particularly with the way Liverpool were defeated in midweek.

Liverpool can’t afford another defeat and if that does happen, then the alarm bells will really start to ring. I don’t know what to expect from Liverpool, there’s part of me that thinks it can’t continue this run, because they’ve got that much quality.

I don’t like what I’m seeing at Liverpool right now though – they’re not competing and they’re all over the place. I think Villa might take advantage of the pressure Liverpool are under.

When you gamble in midweek, the one thing you don’t want is to be battered. That filters into the football club and there’ll be an expectation for them to bounce back.

It wouldn’t surprise me if they did but I’m going to go for Villa because of the way football is, how it works sometimes, and the form that they’re in.

Prediction – Aston Villa win

West Ham vs Newcastle

I wouldn’t say comfortable for Newcastle, but I think with the form and the pressure that is at West Ham, there seems to be a real discord between fans, owners and players.

Newcastle have to go there and take advantage of that horrible situation. I would hope Newcastle go there and get three points.

At the minute, I do think West Ham will go down, because I don’t see anything that can tell me differently. With what I’ve seen up to now this season, they will go down if it doesn’t improve dramatically. I would really worry for West Ham fans.

Prediction – Newcastle win

Manchester City vs Bournemouth

Bournemouth are so impressive – what a season they are having. They’ve sold players, including the goalkeeper, but the players that have come in have settled in straight away; Kroupi’s got two goals, and others are performing.

Going to Man City is a different animal, particularly with Erling Haaland back in the team. I expect him to play, as he left him out of the Carabao Cup, changing 10 players.

If there’s one team that’s going to punish City, and with the form that Bournemouth are in with Antoine Semenyo and other players, it might just be Bournemouth, but I find it very difficult to go against Manchester City at home with Erling Haaland in the team.

I do think Bournemouth are European contenders. They’re out of the Carabao Cup, and they’re not in Europe, so they can prepare properly. They’re not pushing their squad to the max

I think you look at them and Palace, and you know you’re going to be in for a really tough game playing those two. Bournemouth would fancy themselves, quietly, because of what we’ve seen up to now, then they are European contenders, yeah.

Champions League? No, but I don’t see any other reason why they won’t want to compete for 5th, 6th, or 7th.

Prediction – Manchester City win

Sunderland vs Everton

It was a poor result last weekend for Everton. Sunderland are at home, and it’s always going to be tough. They will make it tough.

Everton will be up against it, so I’ll go for a home win, because of Sunderland’s form.

Prediction – Sunderland win

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Joe Cole says Chelsea are ‘relying’ on three players in order to beat Tottenham away from home in the Premier League on Saturday.

The Blues are below Thomas Frank’s side in the top-flight table ahead of the clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this weekend.

Chelsea lost 2-1 to Sunderland at Stamford Bridge in their last Premier League match while Spurs smashed Everton 3-0 to move up to third.

Former Chelsea star Cole believes Pedro Neto is one of his old club’s most important players if the west London side are to defeat Spurs.

Neto has been in fine form for the Blues, registering three goal involvements across his last two Premier League games.

Cole also feels Jamie Gittens and Estevao Willian will be crucial for Chelsea to pick up three points against their London rivals.

‘Chelsea going to Spurs has traditionally been a comfortable game for the club over the years,’ Cole told Paddy Power.

‘It’s the expectations at Chelsea. Tottenham are now all excited, and they’re looking up at Chelsea, who are not a million miles away from Spurs, but there’s a different feeling to this game.

‘If Chelsea are going to beat Spurs at the weekend, you’re relying on players like [Pedro] Neto, who’s been brilliant, Jamie Gittens, who scored a goal and got an assist at Wolves, and Estevao.

‘The goals will come from wide, for Chelsea, and the midfield. Enzo’s been chipping in, but it’s a real tough game for Chelsea.’

Cole: Chelsea must win a big trophy next season

Quizzed on what constitutes a successful season for Chelsea, Cole added: ‘This is season four under this ownership. There are two trophies, albeit new trophies that don’t carry the same weight as a Premier League, an FA Cup, a Champions League, or even a League Cup.

‘But they have delivered trophies, and they’ve restructured the whole club financially.

‘This season, the expectation has to be for Chelsea to comfortably get into the Champions League position and mount a challenge in the league. I don’t think the squad’s strong enough to compete with Arsenal. I’m happy to go on record saying that now, they won’t win the league.

‘Chelsea needs to be comfortably in the Champions League and closer to the top of the league than they were last year for this season to be considered a success. And next season, they have to be winning the big trophies, because that would be five seasons into this project.

‘You have to go with the owners, this is what they are, this is the restructuring of the club. Whether you like it or not, this is where it is at.

‘I try and explain it with my best knowledge of how football clubs work, reading between the lines, because obviously the owners can’t come out and go, ‘Listen, we’re not going gung-ho like we did before, trying to win these big trophies, because we’ve got to fit within a financial model’.

‘They’re not going to say that, because it’s not a good soundbite. From what I understand, that’s what they’ve had to do, and the club wasn’t in a great position financially, so they’ve had to be a bit more clever with how they operate.’

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A London derby that rarely disappoints awaits this weekend as Chelsea make the trip across the capital to take on Tottenham.

After defeat at home to Aston Villa, a dominant win over Everton last time out got Spurs back on track with Thomas Frank’s side sat five points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal in third place.

Chelsea missed the chance to join them in the top four after their shock defeat at home to Sunderland.

There were contrasting fortunes in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night with the Blues surviving a late scare to beat Wolves with Tottenham crashing out after a 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United.

Despite the win, there was more frustration for Enzo Maresca with Liam Delap ruled out of this weekend’s game as the result of his red card.

Delap was making his return from a hamstring injury in the second-half but two yellow cards in seven minutes saw him become the fifth Chelsea player to be sent off this season with Maresca labelling the striker’s dismissal as ‘stupid’ and ‘embarrassing’.

It means plans for Delap to return up front to move Joao Pedro to his preferred role off the striker are on ice for another week.

Marc Guiu could continue up top after starting against Sunderland, rested midweek against Wolves.

Cole Palmer remains unavailable as he continues his recovery from his persistent groin injury while Benoit Badiashile is out until December.

Tottenham’s injury problems are showing no signs of easing with Archie Gray their latest casualty, expected to be ruled out for a month.

Joao Palininha was deployed at centre-half against Newcastle in order to give Micky van der Ven a rest with Guglielmo Vicario and Wilson Odobert also missing out due to injury issues.

Vicario is expected to be available on Saturday against Chelsea but there are also major doubts over Cristian Romero’s fitness. The captain pulled out of the warm-up ahead of the defeat to Aston Villa, missing games against Monaco and Everton as a result.

Frank will provide a further update on his skipper on Friday but the visit of the Blues could come too soon. His issue is not thought to be a long-term one, however, as is also the case with Destiny Udogie who has not played since picking up a knee injury while on international duty.

Yves Bissouma and Dejan Kulusevski also remain sidelined along with long-term absentee James Maddison.

Dominic Solanke meanwhile is continuing his recovery from minor ankle surgery with Ben Davies, Radu Dragusin and Kota Takai completing Tottenham’s list of unavailable players.

Tottenham XI to face Chelsea – Metro prediction

Should Vicario be past fit, Frank will be able to call upon the same starting XI that eased past Everton last time out although Richarlison is an option to come in and replace Randal Kolo Muani up top.

Chelsea XI to face Tottenham – Metro prediction

Delap’s suspension is a real spanner in the works but one positive for Maresca will be Alejandro Garnacho, Jamie Gittens and Estevao Willian all getting on the score sheet across the last two games.

Tottenham vs Chelsea TV channel and kick-off time

Tottenham vs Chelsea takes place on Saturday 1 November with kick-off scheduled for 5:30pm.

You can watch the match live on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event with streaming also available through the Sky Go app and NOW TV for subscribers.

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Former Manchester United coach Benni McCarthy has revealed the club blocked Erik ten Hag from signing Randal Kolo Muani before spending £72m on Rasmus Hojlund.

Ten Hag was keen to bolster his attacking options in the summer of 2023 and eventually welcomed Hojlund to Old Trafford from Serie A side Atalanta.

But McCarthy says PSG forward Kolo Muani, currently on loan at Tottenham, was Ten Hag’s first-choice target that summer.

Ten Hag and his coaches ‘really liked’ Kolo Muani, according to McCarthy, but were ‘overpowered’ by the club who prioritised a deal for Hojlund.

‘We wanted to sign Randal Kolo Muani, he was a player that we really liked,’ McCarthy told Best Betting Sites.

‘We looked at his profile, and just before we started looking at him, he’d had a huge impact with France at the World Cup in Qatar in 2022.

‘He was quick, strong, he was a goal threat. I think that was the kind of player that we kind of looked at and thought that profile really would suit the young team that we had.

‘So obviously Erik asked me just to really just focus on getting the right players. So it was Randal Kolo Muani – he was probably top of the list of strikers which I thought would come in with his experience, and what he’d done at Frankfurt at the time.

‘l thought he was probably best suited to play alongside the likes of Rashford, Bruno and Garnacho at that time.

‘Then obviously Rasmus Hojlund was also in the frame. I think the club, the scouting department, decided otherwise and wanted Hojlund.

‘They felt that Rasmus Hojlund was the better profile, younger as well, with longevity. It could give the club more value going forward.

‘Because of those reasons, the scouting department overpowered basically what the manager wanted. The club obviously went according to the scouting reports and we missed out on Kolo Muani.’

Kolo Muani was in the Bundesliga with Eintracht Frankfurt when Erik ten Hag tried to bring him to Manchester United.

The World Cup finalist completed a £76m move to PSG later that summer but struggled at the French giants.

Tottenham signed Kolo Muani on a season-long loan deal in September but the 26-year-old is yet to make a significant impact for Spurs, making just two Premier League appearances.

Hojlund, meanwhile, scored 16 goals during his first season at Old Trafford before enduring a miserable 2024-25 campaign.

The Denmark international was offloaded to Napoli last summer after Manchester United brought in Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig.

McCarthy was disappointed to see Hojlund depart and says he and Sesko could have made a ‘good striker pairing’.

‘I think Sesko and Rasmus Hojlund would have been a good pair, to have two top strikers at the club,’ he said. ‘Both young, of course, both foreign, both from outside England.

‘They have to adapt. They need to adapt to their new environment. But I think once they both get going, it could have been a really good pair for United like they had back in the day.

‘They had Andy Cole, Dwight Yorke, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Teddy Sheringham. They had four really top-class strikers and you just have to try and make it work.

‘And I think United would have had a similar situation if they had kept Rasmus Hojlund. But I understand, players want to play.

‘When you make that bold move to come to United, you don’t want to be sharing the load with somebody else or sitting on the bench while the other one plays and vice versa.

‘So, yeah, tough decisions, but the club ended up offloading Rasmus Hojlund, and he seems to be very happy where he is, and he’s playing and he’s gaining valuable experience and he’s scoring goals.

‘It’s good for his confidence and he’s still a United player. At the end of the day maybe he’ll come back from this loan and then hopefully he’ll be ready then to kick on for United.

‘Then he and Benjamin Sesko can work together. For Sesko, he’ll have to adapt to the way of playing, and he’s already scored two goals now in the last three games.

‘So once he can hit the ground running, United will have really good pedigree up front and they are relatively young footballers.’

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