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The Blues came into the season tipped as title favourites but are being held back in one key department

Problems to solve: Enzo Maresca

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Sam Tabuteau

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Your matchday briefing on Chelsea, featuring team news and expert analysis from Dom Smith

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Approaching the 10-game mark of the Premier League season, we are no closer to understanding quite where Chelsea’s ceiling lies than we were in August.

They are, on their day, one of the most exhilarating teams in the division - joint top scorers with Manchester City and today’s opponents, Tottenham.

As the Blues showed away to Wolves in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, they can go from back to front in an instant, leaving opponents bloodied and breathless.

However, as ferocious as they are in attack, they are just as quick to anger, and Liam Delap’s dismissal against Wolves - branded “stupid” by Enzo Maresca - highlighted a growing disciplinary problem that continues to undermine their progress under Enzo Maresca.

“I think that some of the red cards that we concede, we can avoid it,” Maresca admitted in his pre-match press conference on Friday.

The Club World Cup champions were meant to be among the challengers for the league title, but following their shock defeat to Sunderland last weekend, they enter tonight’s game with Tottenham three points and six places behind their London rivals.

Rash: Chelsea continue to be held back by their own indiscipline

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Chelsea have the upper hand in this fixture, having won their last four games against Tottenham and losing just once in 12 games since 2020.

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They launched genuine, if fleeting, title talk with a 4-3 win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last December.

However, despite the promise they have shown under Maresca, questions remain, and they head into Saturday’s trip to north London no clearer as to their aspirations this season.

Chelsea’s young squad are learning. Maresca said that they will learn from their second-half performance at Molineux, in which they shipped three goals and were reduced to 10 men.

“The first half was completely under control. In the second half, after the goal we conceded, we panicked a little bit. This is part of the process of this squad.

“We had one player born in [2007], three players ‘06, four players ‘04, one player ‘03, another player ‘02, and the oldest player ‘97. The second-oldest player born in 02. It’s part of their learning process.

“It’s normal. They are human beings, they are young, they need to improve, they need to understand, they need to live through some extra things to get better.”

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He added that they will have to learn not to be so rash in their decision-making, with Delap’s sending off the fifth time a Chelsea player has seen red figuratively and literally this season.

“It's also something that we need to learn. Something that we have to do better. And for sure, no doubt that in the future we're going to be better also on that.”

Chelsea are still figuring out what the season has in store for them, but one thing they are sure of is that they want to play with the ball.

In this regard, Maresca was defiant: “In the future we are going to be fantastic. I prefer the ball as much as we can.”

Chelsea are also mindful of Tottenham’s threat from long throw-ins, having conceded from throws in each of their last two games, but have not yet been seduced by their effectiveness this season. “Everyone is trying to use different weapons.”

Maresca wants total control. But to get that, he must first get his players to control their emotions and the fine margins.

Both of these things will be put to the test in what promises to be a fiery encounter with a Tottenham side who have taken 13 points from their last 18 home games, struggling for control on home soil.

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Matt Verri

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Your matchday briefing on Tottenham, featuring team news and expert analysis from Matt Verri

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Whatever form the two clubs are in, however strong the squads are, Tottenham's matches with Chelsea have one overarching theme. Spurs, somehow, find a way to lose.

There was last year's 4-3 defeat on home soil, when Spurs went 2-0 up early on and then fell behind 4-2. Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero both picked up injuries and did not play for another three months to sum up a disastrous December evening.

The season before, at around this time of year, Spurs were beaten 4-1 in truly farcical fashion. Again Spurs took the lead and again they collapsed, Romero and Destiny Udogie both shown red cards. Oh, and Van de Ven and James Maddison both suffered significant injuries.

Spurs fans can be forgiven, then, if Chelsea's visit to north London this evening is not one they are exactly relishing.

Chelsea have lost just one of their last 13 Premier League matches against Spurs, who have made a habit of derby disappointment.

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Ange Postecoglou lost all four of his matches against Chelsea. Antonio Conte's only win came when he was at home recovering from gallbladder surgery. Nuno Espirito Santo got one attempt and lost 3-0 and Jose Mourinho's sole victory came at home in the Carabao Cup.

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The bar is therefore not particularly high for Thomas Frank, who has the chance to make this the biggest night of his Spurs career so far.

These games against big rivals are the ones that shape fan opinion. There are some Spurs supporters who have questions over the style of play under Frank, despite the fact that results have largely been impressive. Victory against the Blues will go a long way to getting any doubting supporters firmly behind him and the direction of the team.

Frank could bring some much-needed calm to this fixture for Spurs. The home defeats to Chelsea under Postecoglou were chaotic affairs, Spurs unable to keep their composure and getting caught up in the occasion.

A more pragmatic approach could suit the hosts, particularly with Chelsea’s recent struggles to break teams down. Spurs are the best team away from home in the Premier League, relishing matches where the onus is not on them to take the game to the opposition.

Frank, though, was adamant that Spurs will be front-footed against Chelsea.

In control: Thomas Frank hopes Spurs can set the tone when Chelsea visit

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"We will not sit back, I think it's very clear," he declared.

"Maybe you haven't seen our games. Against Villa for example, we were very aggressive. Running forward, pressing forward. I think we've done that in every single game. That will not change."

What must change is Spurs' record against Chelsea and their results at home in general. It is three wins in the last 18 Premier League matches on home soil for Spurs heading into this match. They have already dropped points to Bournemouth, Wolves and Aston Villa this season.

There is a concerted effort to create a raucous atmosphere for this derby. Fan groups have plans to meet inside the stadium earlier, while the music will be stopped five and a half minutes before kick-off to allow the noise in the stands to build more naturally.

It is set to be a huge occasion and one that could provide the platform to kick on under Frank, who has an almost identical record at the start of his reign to Mauricio Pochettino in the Spurs dugout.

Pochettino won his first home match against Chelsea 5-3. Anything close to a repeat of that, and the Frank era will have its launchpad.

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Chelsea make the short trip from SW6 to N17 this afternoon as they size up a derby clash with arch-rivals Tottenham.

The two sides had mixed fortunes in the Carabao Cup this week. Tottenham found themselves knocked out of the tournament by Newcastle as they lost 2-0 at St James’ Park, while Chelsea progressed with a narrow win over Wolves.

They did not do it the easy way, though. After leading 3-0 at half-time, they resisted a second-half retort from their hosts to edge out a 4-3 win, sealed by Jamie Gittens’ late thunderbolt.

Chelsea have won nine of their last 11 meetings with Spurs, and will be keen to extend that form under the lights at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Spurs lead Chelsea in the Premier League table at present, but the Blues stand to leapfrog their rivals with a win.

With both sides eyeing midweek Champions League action - Chelsea away to Qarabag of Azerbaijan and Spurs at home to Copenhagen - both sides will be chasing a confidence-boosting result here.

Here’s everything you need to know about how to follow the action...

TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on Sky Sports Main Event and Premier League, with coverage starting at 5pm ahead of a 5.30pm kick-off.

Live stream: Sky Sports subscribers can also catch the contest live online via the Sky Go app and website.

Tottenham are set to be boosted by the return of Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie against Chelsea on Saturday evening.

The pair have not played since the international break earlier this month and have been training individually to step up their recoveries.

Romero has had an adductor issue and Udogie picked up a knee injury while on Italy duty, but both are in contention to face Chelsea. Wilson Odobert is also fit and available after a side strain.

"[The] positive is that Romero, Destiny and Wilson are available for selection to the squad," Frank said at his pre-match press conference.

Frank could opt to be cautious with Udogie and give him minutes off the bench, but there is every chance Romero comes straight back into the starting lineup for such a big match.

Guglielmo Vicario will return to the starting lineup after being left out of the squad for the midweek Carabao Cup defeat to Newcastle.

Archie Gray is out with a calf injury and Dominic Solanke will not return until after the international break, as his recovery from ankle surgery remains slow.

Frank has opted for a slightly different shape in recent matches, almost with two No10s when Spurs have the ball.

Even though they have played a lot of football recently, Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur are likely to start at the base of midfield again.

Lucas Bergvall played the role off the left wing against Newcastle, while Xavi Simons did so in the win over Everton with Mohammed Kudus as the No10.

Brennan Johnson was unconvincing in both of those matches and could drop out of the side. Richarlison has also struggled for form and Frank must be tempted to start Randal Kolo Muani up front.

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Enzo Maresca made 10 changes as the Blues beat Wolves 4-3 to reach the Carabao Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday, resting a number of key players.

Maresca has confirmed Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo are available to start against Spurs, despite nursing injuries and coming off the bench at Molineux.

He has also said Joao Pedro, who has been playing through a groin issue, is available to return at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday after been rested against Wolves.

Speaking on Friday, Maresca provided an injury update on Fernandez, Caicedo and Joao Pedro ahead of the Spurs game and said: “Yes, they are OK, they are available.

“The reason why Joao didn't play against Wolves is because we tried to protect him. The same thing was with Enzo and Moi, just to give them some minutes, but the idea is to protect these players.”

That leaves Joao Pedro and Marc Guiu, who started his first Premier League game in last weekend’s 2-1 home defeat to Sunderland, as the only two senior strikers available.

Dario Essugo is also working his way back from thigh surgery and is not expected back until next year, while Levi Colwill is set to miss the majority of the season with a knee injury.

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Your matchday briefing on Tottenham, featuring team news and expert analysis from Matt Verri

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The days gets shorter, the clocks go back and membership to Tottenham's injury club goes through the roof.

There is something about this time of year for Spurs and it is hard not to feel a growing sense of deja vu.

The injury list is not as dramatic as the one Ange Postecoglou faced last season and that prompted a disastrous domestic collapse, but it is quietly growing and already having an impact.

Spurs were beaten 2-0 by Newcastle in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday. It is one down, three to go in terms of the club's hopes of winning silverware for a second successive season.

To be blunt, Spurs are not going to win the Premier League and Champions League success looks miles off. It is effectively FA Cup or bust.

Spurs were without 12 first-team players at St James’ Park

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When Thomas Frank arrived at the start of the summer, he used his first press conference to declare that his Spurs side needed to challenge on multiple fronts in a way they have not in recent seasons.

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That Spurs could not do so in the Carabao Cup is not Frank's fault. He has been left with a worryingly thin squad and little chance of competing.

Spurs had Callum Olusesi, Luca Gunter and James Rowswell on their bench at St James' Park and yet this was as strong a squad as Frank could have named.

The starting line-up was not weak, either. Some might have wanted Micky van de Ven to start but Frank was right to rest him with his injury record. Mohammed Kudus, so crucial to Spurs' attack, also can't start every match.

Frank revealed after the match that Archie Gray would have started had he not been ruled out with a calf issue. That was picked up in Monaco, as was Wilson Odobert's side issue. Strangely both made the bench against Everton on Sunday before being ruled out here.

With it also emerging after the match that Guglielmo Vicario had missed out because he "had a small thing that had to be done", it meant that Frank was without 12 first-team players.

Newcastle, by contrast, were able to bring on the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton and Anthony Gordon.

Spurs played decently in the circumstances, showing more promising signs in open play as Xavi Simons produced one of his best displays. There was disappointment to go out of the cup, but this was not a terrible performance.

The issue in the final third was of quality rather than tactics or set-up. Add the likes of Solanke, Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison into the side and it would have been a very different match.

More worrying is that Frank's squad is becoming increasingly depleted just as the fixtures continue to come thick and fast.

Nick Woltemade scores Newcastle’s second goal on a tough night for Spurs

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Speaking at St James' Park after the match, Frank insisted he was not worried. The Spurs boss was keen to emphasise that the club had been unfortunate with injuries, rather than suffering muscle issues due to fatigue or poor management of minutes.

"We know injuries is part of it," Frank said.

"It's up to me to find solutions. I think some of the ones we had are relatively, how can I say, unlucky. It's how quick you get them back.

"But a contact injury to Maddison, Bissouma. A knee thing with Destiny [Udogie], we can't do too much about that. Dom mishit the ball."

Regardless of how they have been picked up, the injury list is a major problem. Frank is not one for detailed injury updates and that has added to the uncertainty.

Cristian Romero, for example, has been training on the grass individually and yet Frank has repeatedly said "no timeframe" for his return. Solanke is said only to be taking "positive steps".

It is difficult, then, to be sure just how bad Spurs' injury problems are. If Romero is not back to face Chelsea on Saturday evening then concerns really will grow.

There are now three home games before the international break, with Copenhagen and Manchester United following Chelsea's visit to north London.

Spurs have a woeful home record and must improve that, regardless of who they have available. The international break will then offer a chance to get players back fit and hopefully get a grip on the injury problems.

If that does not happen, Frank will have his hands tied behind his back trying to keep the season on track.

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