Metro.co.uk

Frank Leboeuf has criticised Tottenham’s decision to sign a £52million star following his woeful performance in the 1-0 defeat to Chelsea.

Though they remain fourth in the Premier League table, Spurs were booed off the pitch on Saturday as they lost to their fierce London rivals, with Joao Pedro scoring the winner.

Manager Thomas Frank spent over £185m in his first summer in charge, but several signings are struggling to adapt to life in north London, especially headline arrival Xavi Simons.

Tottenham were desperate to sign a new No.10 but Simons was not their first choice, only turning to the RB Leipzig star after they failed to buy Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze.

Still, it was regarded as somewhat of a coup to get the highly-rated Dutchman who had been pursued all summer by Chelsea, but after 12 games he has no goals and just one assist to his name.

Dropped to the bench for the Blues clash, Simons came on after just seven minutes due to an injury to Lucas Bergvall, but it was his risky and sloppy pass back to Micky van de Ven that was intercepted by Moises Caicedo, who in turn teed up Pedro to score the decisive goal.

Former Tottenham star Jamie O’Hara was scathing of Simons on talkSPORT, saying: ‘It feels like we signed an Antony,’ referring to the £82m Manchester United flop.

‘Xavi Simons, I’m sick to death of him. He gives the ball away, soft, short, and Caicedo nicks it off him.

‘Honestly, he’s come on for Bergvall after five minutes, and it’s like we’re playing with ten men. I’m sick of it, £52million we spent and he’s bang average, he gives the ball away for fun.’

It got worse for the 22-year-old however, suffering the indignity of being subbed on and off in the same match, with Frank hauling him off with 17 minutes to go.

Based on his start at Spurs, Chelsea will be thankful their transfer for the attacking midfielder fell through, while Leboeuf says the Lilywhites greatly overestimated the player they were signing.

‘Xavi Simons played one good year for Leipzig – that wasn’t the case for Paris Saint-Germain before – and an average season last season and was sold for £52million to Tottenham Hotspur,’ the former Chelsea defender told ESPN.

‘And you expect what? What do you expect from those players who have one good year of football? To be to be a game changer?

‘People are dreaming, dreamers. I don’t get that.’

Leboeuf’s assessment of Simons as a one-season wonder does seem harsh given that he did record 19 goal contributions in 33 games last season, compared to 25 in 43 in his first Leipzig campaign.

More Trending

Frank defended Simons post-match, explaining that he was dropped and then subbed off due to fitness reasons: ‘There’s a reason why we didn’t start him, of course.

‘I think he’s played two starts, short turnaround. Also, that energy and freshness I talked about, played 90 minutes Wednesday night. So that’s why we decided that, and then he played 70 minutes here.

‘So I think that was nothing. It’s just because it looks different when you come on after three minutes and get subbed off.’

Simons should get a shot at redemption when Tottenham host Copenhagen in the Champions League on Tuesday.

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Arrow MORE: Alan Shearer savages ‘lazy’ Newcastle after ‘awful’ West Ham loss

Arrow MORE: Trent Alexander-Arnold speaks out on Liverpool return with Real Madrid

Arrow MORE: Ruben Amorim told £37m star has created a ‘problem’ at Man Utd

Chelsea secured a much-needed win over fierce rivals Tottenham on Saturday and one player has gone viral after wildly taunting the opposition fans.

Calamitous defending from Spurs allowed Joao Pedro to score in the first-half of the London derby and while unable to extend their advantage, the Blues secured a well-deserved three points.

Pedro Neto was involved in the build-up to the goal but had an otherwise quiet afternoon before being subbed off for Estevao in the 85th minute.

But Chelsea supporters have praised the winger’s impact on the bench as Neto was filmed winding up Tottenham fans in bizarre and hilarious fashion during injury time.

In footage that has gone viral on social media, the Portugal international and teammate Wesley Fofana, who had also just been subbed off, were seen standing in the dugout, seemingly complaining about a refereeing decision.

Tottenham supporters behind them furiously shouted for the players to sit down, prompting Neto to turn around and seemingly shout back: ‘F*** you,’ twice.

He then laughed and wildly stuck his tongue out before taking his seat again, much to the ire of the Spurs faithful who continued to heckle the players.

A key player under Enzo Maresca, Neto has recorded 22 goal contributions in 65 appearances since moving to Stamford Bridge from Wolves last year in a transfer worth around £52million.

And fans were delighted with the 25-year-old antics during the derby, with one Chelsea supporter posting on Twitter: ‘This is the funniest video on the internet.’

‘My new favourite player,’ another added, while on Reddit several fans just said: ‘Proper Chels.’

‘The full video is killing me, Netos rage bait, [Malo] Gusto holding his laugh and Josh [Acheampong] seemingly catching a stray at the end,’ another posted.

Tottenham fans were also furious at their own team following another woeful home performance, frustration Thomas Frank says he ‘100 per cent’ understands.

More Trending

‘We all sense the frustration and the emotions. That is part of football,’ the manager said in his post-match press conference.

‘It is extremely painful and of course that is part of the job to face you guys now and answer the very good questions when you just are burning inside.

‘And you like to find solutions, watch the game back and see what went wrong, but I think it’s about trying to stay calm. In general, I think Chelsea were good and we were definitely second best.’

The result moves Chelsea up to fifth in the Premier League table, level on points with Spurs. Next up for Maresca’s side is a trip to Qarabag in the Champions League on Wednesday.

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Arrow MORE: Ex-Liverpool and Man Utd managers in frame for Wolves job after Vitor Pereira sacking

Arrow MORE: ‘Big loss’ – Liverpool slammed for selling £65m star

Arrow MORE: Scott Parker singles out Arsenal star for praise after Burnley defeat

Chelsea full-back Malo Gusto aimed a parting dig at rivals Tottenham after their convincing 1-0 away win in north London.

Joao Pedro’s first-half strike was the difference between the two sides as the Blues bounced back from last weekend’s defeat to Sunderland to move into the top four.

In truth, it was an encounter that Enzo Maresca’s side dominated from start to finish, with Spurs only managing to muster two efforts on goal throughout the entire 90 minutes.

And Chelsea would almost certainly have made the scoreline look far worse for Saturday’s hosts had it not been for some wasteful finishing from the Blues’ forward line and the impressive shot-stopping of Guglielmo Vicario in the Tottenham net.

Regardless, it was an impressive display from Chelsea, who have now won five straight games against their London rivals, as well as only tasting defeat once in their last 14 meeting with Spurs.

And Blues full-back Gusto was keen to remind the north London club of that fact in a post on social media shortly after the game.

‘Same story again!!!’ Gusto captained a post on Instagram, with the Frenchman cheekily setting the location as ‘Home Sweet Home’.

Speaking after his side’s victory, a pleased Maresca said: ‘I’m happy with the 1-0 and with the three points, especially because we kept the clean sheet, that I think is something that we need for the future.

‘We know that we are a team that at the end we are going to score goals, but we need to do better defensively.

‘I think the performance was very good on the ball and off the ball. For sure the way we tried to press was very important, but I also think that our game against Liverpool off the ball was top game, was very good, and you need that.

More Trending

‘You need that if you want to be close to the top, you need to be defensively solid. As I said, we know that almost always score goals, but we need also to try to concede less goals.’

Frank, meanwhile was left floored by his side’s lack of creativty, which saw them generate a measly 0.05 xG (expected goals).

‘I would say that, of course, hurt massively,’ the Dane said. ‘I’ve never been in charge of a team that created that little in one game, never.

‘So that, of course, I will look into what we can do to make it better. But I think that’s one thing. I think everything is a little bit linked. And today, yeah, we didn’t hit the level.’

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Arrow MORE: ‘He looks awkward’ – Gary Neville worried about £74m Manchester United star

Arrow MORE: Enzo Maresca names only player ‘in the world’ on par with Chelsea star Moises Caicedo

Arrow MORE: ‘They look unbeatable’ – Paul Merson blown away by ‘phenomenal’ Arsenal star in Burnley win

Enzo Maresca claimed there is only one defensive midfielder ‘in the world’ who can be considered as good as Moises Caicedo after his latest display in a Chelsea shirt.

Joao Pedro’s first-half goal was enough to separate the sides in north London as Chelsea moved back into the top four of the Premier League with their fifth-straight win over Tottenham.

The Blues produced a dominant display against their local rivals, and, in truth, should have run away with the game had it not been for a number of smart saves and squanderd chances.

Once again, though, it was the performance of Caicedo that typified a superb derby display from Maresca’s side, with the midfielder showing great tenacity to win the ball back twice before setting up Pedro for the game’s winning goal.

And the Ecuadorian international continued in that vein throughout the game, delivering an all-action display with and without the ball to dirve his side on to a deserved victory.

After a slow start to his life at Stamford Bridge, Caicedo is now more than justifying the £115million fee that Chelsea forked out to sign him from Brighton in August 2023.

And speaking after his latest man-of-the-match display, Maresca belives that only Manchester City’s Rodri can hold a candle to Caicedo when it comes to his current levels of performance.

‘He is top. In this moment, I think him with Rodri, they are the two best defensive midfielders probably in the world,’ Maresca told Sky Sports when asked about Caicedo at full-time.

Speaking in his post-match press conference later, the Chelsea boss added: ‘Moi is showing how good he is. He’s top.

‘I said many times, the best thing for him, for sure we judge him on the pitch, but he’s so humble, such a good guy and is always there to help everyone.

‘Him and Rodri, in this moment they are the best defensive midfielders in the world.’

Former Tottenham and Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp was equally effusive with his praise for the Chelsea star, telling Sky Sports: ‘I’d go as far to say that right now that he is the best of his type in world football.

‘Just absolutely phenomenal the way that he covers ground, his desire, his quality on the ball, putting out fires for his team and chasing lost causes, strength on the ball, always making the right pass.

More Trending

‘I just thought he was magnificent today and he’s a dream. When you are playing as a defender and you have someone like that just hoovering up in front of you and then having quality like that [in the final third], it’s just a dream.

‘He took a little while to settle but now I’m thinking he’s one of the best. They’ve had Kante, Makelele, some of the best defensive midfielders at that club over the years.

‘At 23, he’s absolutely magnificent and if you’re going to go anywhere, if you are going to win competitions, you need these types of players.’

Chelsea return to action in midweek as they travel to face Qarabag in the Champions League.

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Arrow MORE: ‘They look unbeatable’ – Paul Merson blown away by ‘phenomenal’ Arsenal star in Burnley win

Arrow MORE: Man Utd fan ‘heartbroken’ as haircut hopes fade following Nottingham Forest draw

Arrow MORE: Ruben Amorim demands ‘much more’ from Manchester United star after Nottingham Forest draw

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.

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Arrow MORE: Man Utd fan ‘heartbroken’ as haircut hopes fade following Nottingham Forest draw

Arrow MORE: Ruben Amorim demands ‘much more’ from Manchester United star after Nottingham Forest draw

Arrow MORE: Scott Parker makes Arsenal Premier League title prediction after Burnley defeat

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.

Get personalised updates on Chelsea every day

Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro’s Football Newsletter.

Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link we’ll send you so we can get football news tailored to you.

Metro’s LIVE matchday blog will bring you all the build-up, confirmed team news and starting XIs, goal updates and minute-by-minute coverage.

Live Feed

Sort:

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.

Good afternoon!

Hello and welcome to Metro’s live blog coverage of the Premier League clash between Tottenham and Chelsea.

Stay with us for all the build-up, team news and match updates from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Arrow MORE: Nottingham Forest 2-2 Man Utd: Amad Diallo stunner rescues point for United

Arrow MORE: Burnley 0-2 Arsenal LIVE: Viktor Gyokeres and Declan Rice cement Gunners’ lead at the top

Arrow MORE: Ruben Amorim speaks out on ‘very good’ Man Utd target Elliot Anderson ahead of Forest clash

Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source

Football Newsletter – In The Mixer

Your guide to the week in football. Exclusive analysis, FPL tips and transfer talk – sign up, it’s an open goal.

Team ?

Let us know which team you support.

Select All

Select All

Arsenal

Arsenal

Aston Villa

Aston Villa

Bournemouth

Bournemouth

Brighton

Brighton

Burnley

Burnley

Chelsea

Chelsea

Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace

Everton

Everton

Fulham

Fulham

Leeds United

Leeds United

Liverpool

Liverpool

Manchester City

Manchester City

Manchester United

Manchester United

Newcastle

Newcastle

Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest

Sunderland

Sunderland

Tottenham

Tottenham

West Ham

West Ham

Wolves

Wolves

I agree to receive newsletters from Metro

I agree to receive newsletters from Metro

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

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.

Arrow MORE: Is Nottingham Forest vs Man Utd on TV today? Predicted lineup and team news

Arrow MORE: Is Burnley vs Arsenal on TV today? Predicted starting XI and team news

Arrow MORE: Ruben Amorim drops Manchester United transfer hint ahead of January window

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!

More Trending

‘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.’

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Arrow MORE: Petr Cech makes Arsenal prediction over Chelsea Premier League record

Arrow MORE: Danny Murphy names the two Man Utd players who still need to ‘do more’

Arrow MORE: Man Utd star reveals what Peter Schmeichel told him after questioning £18m transfer

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.

More Trending

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.’

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Arrow MORE: Micah Richards says Mikel Arteta should let ‘special’ Arsenal star leave on loan

Arrow MORE: Enzo Maresca reveals what Liam Delap told him after ’embarrassing’ red card

Arrow MORE: Nigel Winterburn names Arsenal’s three biggest title rivals and rules two teams out

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.

More Trending

‘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.’

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Arrow MORE: Concerning Gabriel Martinelli and William Saliba injury update ahead of Burnley vs Arsenal

Arrow MORE: Alexander Isak injury latest as expert explains potential blow for Liverpool star

Arrow MORE: Alan Shearer’s Premier League predictions for Man Utd, Arsenal and Spurs vs Chelsea