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Thomas Frank has selected his Tottenham Hotspur team for the Premier League match against Chelsea.

Tottenham’s record against Chelsea has been awful for many years, with the Lilywhites having only managed one win in their last thirteen league meetings when facing their bitter rivals.

The Spurs first-team squad has been decimated by injuries, a problem which also plagued former boss Ange Postecoglou last season.

Fans will be hoping for a response after Tottenham’s 2-0 defeat to Newcastle in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening.

Tottenham’s team vs Chelsea has been announced

Thomas Frank revealed at Friday’s press conference that captain Cristian Romero, Destiny Udogie and Wilson Odobert were fit to return to be considered for selection against Chelsea.

This is the Tottenham team which faces Chelsea under the lights of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in N17:

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November is a make or break month for Spurs

November sees a series of tough tests for Tottenham, who will also face Manchester United, Arsenal and PSG later this month.

Chelsea have won nine and drawn one of the last 11 meetings between the two teams, with Tottenham’s home form this season falling way below expectations.

Spurs have won just once at home in the league all season, on the opening weekend against Burnley – while drawing to Wolves and losing to both Bournemouth and Aston Villa.

Dimitar Berbatov has talked about the challenges he faced after his move to Tottenham Hotspur, and his comment would give some perspective to Spurs fans on being patient with new signings.

Patience is not a virtue that modern-day football fans have, and one of Tottenham’s marquee summer signings is finding that out first-hand.

Xavi Simons is coming under a lot of criticism, with some pundits already deeming him a bad fit for the Premier League.

The fact that Xavi was unhappy to be taken off against Everton has made some fans livid, and the £52m man certainly has a lot of work to do to win over the Tottenham faithful.

However, a former Tottenham star’s confession about his early struggles shows why Spurs fans need to be patient with the Dutchman.

Dimitar Berbatov makes an admission about early Tottenham tribulations

Berbatov oozed class from the second he set foot on the pitch at White Hart Lane in 2006, but the Bulgarian has admitted that he certainly had some doubts and challenges after his move from Bayer Leverkusen.

When asked about the struggles of Florian Witz at Liverpool, the former Spurs striker has pointed out how difficult it is for a new signing coming into the Premier League.

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Berbatov said on Rio Ferdinand Presents: “The same process was happening when I went to Leverkusen. In the beginning, it didn’t work out quite well. I needed to be patient. In Tottenham, again, new environment, again, new people, new language, new everything. Again, the things were taking too long to happen for me. I was thinking, maybe I need to go back.

“But when I was thinking like this, then my other, not personality, but my other me, was telling me ‘No, no, no, no. You see what happened in Leverkusen. Just be patient. Keep working. You have the quality. You deserve to be here. You wanted something to change. Now you’re here.

“Now be stubborn. Be patient. Keep working. Not sitting. It’s not going to fall like this on your lap. Work smart or hard. Try to know when, which when, and work. And it will happen’. You basically want to go to your safe place, your safe environment. But you need to have that motivation and that ambition in you as well to overcome the fear. So my ambition was bigger than my fear.”

Berbatov points to Luka Modric at Spurs

A couple of weeks ago, Thomas Frank drew comparisons between Wirtz and Simons’ early struggles in the Premier League, backing both players to come good once they get adjusted to the pace and intensity of the division.

While discussing Wirtz, Berbatov pointed to former Tottenham man, Luka Modric, as someone who thrived in English football despite his short stature after adjusting to the division.

The same argument can be applied to Xavi as well, who is not too different to the Croat in terms of his stature and style of play.

The former Tottenham and Man United striker added: “The way he (Wirtz) sees football, how he looks for the space, how he knows how to position himself, the touches on the ball, the improvisation, the eye for the pass and for the goals.

“Of course, someone can argue that his physique is not that great for the Premier League. But then you can easily see the great players of his position, like Modric, also the same build. Modric. F***ing monster. It’s unbelievable. So give him time. I think he’s going to be unbelievable for Liverpool.”

Luka Vuskovic’s numbers at Hamburg keep getting more and more impressive after every outing, and the Tottenham youngster is showing no signs of slowing down.

Even before his loan move to HSV this season, there was a sense among Spurs fans that Vuksovic was a special talent.

After all, the 18-year-old had excelled in all of his loan spells, including the one at Westerlo last season. However, making the step up to a top-five league is a different kettle of fish altogether.

Yet, Vuskovic has not put a foot wrong in the Bundesliga and is topping many charts in Germany, with Tottenham supporters in awe of what they have seen from the teenager.

Tottenham youngster Luka Vuskovic is leading in several metrics by a huge margin

A new report in BILD has now provided a few more numbers to illustrate the Croat’s dominance, showing just why HSV and Spurs fans are excited about him.

The outlet points out that Vuskovic has won 74.6 per cent of his duels this season, which puts him ahead of the rest by a ‘huge margin’.

When it comes to aerial duals, the on-loan Tottenham Hotspur man’s numbers are even more impressive, with the youngster having won 85 per cent of those.

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On top of that, Vuskovic has made 135 interceptions this season, which is a tally that ‘no one comes close to’, and this is despite the centre-back only playing six league games.

Vuskovic is not expected to be recalled by Spurs

Amidst the youngsters’ outstanding performances in Germany, some reports have said that Tottenham could recall Vuskovic from his loan to boost their options at centre-back.

However, the Hamburg director has said that Vuskovic will not return to Spurs in January, making it clear that he remains in regular contact with the North London club.

It seems like Tottenham Hotspur will find it very difficult to sign one of the most in-form holding midfielders in European football this season.

Spurs have been linked with several number sixes with Premier League experience over recent weeks.

Conor Gallagher is thought to be on Tottenham’s radar, while some sources have also suggested that the Lilywhites are also interested in Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton.

Over the last few days, speculation has grown that Tottenham may offer Scott McTominay the chance to return to the Premier League, 18 months after he swapped Man United for Napoli.

McTominay recently finished 18th in the 2025 Ballon d’Or rankings.

Sky Italia are now claiming (as relayed by Sport Witness) that they have spoken directly to McTominay’s representatives regarding the transfer rumours.

The 28-year-old’s team has allegedly dismissed the reports out of hand, making it clear that the player is ‘extremely happy’ at Napoli

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A source close to McTominay even told the outlet that he is loving life at Naples and has a very good relationship with the club’s fans.

The player, who is contracted until 2028 at the Diego Maradona Stadium, has ruled out a switch to Spurs or any other Premier League club for the time being.

McTominay may sign a new contract

This report from Sky Italia follows another previous update from journalist Sacha Tavolieri, who made it clear that McTominay is not considering leaving Napoli in January.

Tavolieri also added that Antonio Conte’s side are ready to offer the midfielder a new contract to ward off interest from the Premier League clubs.

Chelsea legend Didier Drogba admits that a Tottenham Hotspur man is quickly becoming his new favourite.

At the start of the season, one Tottenham Hotspur attacker has been getting more praise from the media than any other, and it is richly deserved.

The Spurs star in question sits at the top of the tree across Europe in completed dribbles and is continuing to improve with each outing.

Most Tottenham supporters would have already guessed that we are talking about Mohammed Kudus, who has been named in WhoScored’s Premier League Team of the Season so far, and the winger now has a new fan.

Didier Drogba is a big fan of Tottenham star Mohammed Kudus

There is no love lost between Chelsea and Spurs, which is why it is considered almost blasphemous for a Blues legend to express his admiration for a Tottenham player.

However, despite this, Drogba has now admitted that Kudus is now his favourite African star in the Premier League.

When asked which African players in the Premier League have caught his eye, Drogba said to SportyTV: “I like Kudus. I used to like Jackson because I see a lot of similarities between his debut at Chelsea – unfortunately, it was a difficult time for him there.

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“And of course, I can’t forget my brother, Mohamed Salah. King Salah, I love you.”

Spurs are eyeing a move for another African superstar

There is another African player that Drogba failed to mention, who has arguably been one of the best players on show across the Premier League this season.

Antoine Semenyo appears to have taken his game to a new level, and according to reports, Tottenham may make a move for the Bournemouth star in January.

Former Man United winger Nani has expressed his admiration for a Tottenham midfielder and believes he would be a perfect fit for the Red Devils.

There has been a lot of debate over Thomas Frank’s midfield selections at Tottenham so far this season.

Some have suggested that playing Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur together nullifies Spurs creatively, but it does not appear as if Frank is going to change his mind on his midfield anytime soon.

However, what is undeniable is that Palhinha’s arrival has made Tottenham much more defensively solid, and one former Man United man is a huge fan of the 30-year-old.

Nani reveals what he noticed about Tottenham midfielder Joao Palhinha

Nani played with the Portuguese midfielder when he was first breaking through at Sporting Lisbon, and he admitted that he became a ‘complete player’ very soon.

The 38-year-old believes that the on-loan Bayern Munich man will be a huge asset for Thomas Frank’s side this season.

Nani told Covers.com (as relayed by TEAMtalk): “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.

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“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.

“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.”

Nani says Palhinha has Man United DNA

What will irk some Spurs fans is that the former United winger hinted that he would love to see his compatriot at Old Trafford, describing him as a player who would fit into Man United’s DNA.

Nani added about Palhinha: “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.”

According to reports, Tottenham are expected to take up the £26m option to sign Palhinha permanently.

Thomas Frank has explained why the criticism levelled at one Tottenham star has gone overboard despite obvious positive signs.

Out of the seven signings that Tottenham made in the summer transfer window, Xavi Simons was arguably the arrival that the supporters were most excited about.

However, the Dutch playmaker has failed to hit the ground running at North London and has looked a little off pace so far.

Some pundits are already writing off Xavi as a flop in the Premier League, but Thomas Frank has now hit back against those claims.

Thomas Frank is confident Xavi Simons will thrive at Tottenham

The Spurs head coach is seemingly still trying to find the best role for the 22-year-old in his system, having tried him on the left wing and in the number ten role.

Frank has now asserted that he is confident Xavi will come good, suggesting it is unfair to lay Tottenham’s lack of fluidity going forward solely on the former RB Leipzig man’s feet.

When asked about the £52m summer signing, the Spurs head coach said (via Football.London): “I’m in no doubt that Xavi will perform very well for us. That is down to him, me, the team, to everyone to get it done. The one thing you don’t have in football is time, but it will take time. It’s completely natural. Sometimes we can’t talk about processes and time, but the reality is you need it, everyone needs it. I’m confident, I’m sure it will happen.

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“It’s probably too much to put everything on Xavi in terms of when he’s clicking then the team is just free-floating. When this team was clicking well in the last two seasons it definitely involved, most likely, Maddison, Kulusevski and Son at the same time.

“Dom [Solanke] came to the club last year for the first time, as I remember. So those three on the pitch at the same time gave the team a lift. So that’s why it cannot be on one player, in my opinion, it needs to be on three to four to get the team clicking.

“But I also understand that there are some players who need to add more to get the team free-floating and in that case, Xavi is definitely one of the players that needs to do that.”

Frank sees promising signings with Xavi

The Spurs boss revealed that he is seeing progress from the versatile attacker as he adjusts to the demands of the Premier League.

Frank remarked that the only thing missing for Xavi right now is the final pass, admitting that he is pleased with the areas that the youngster is getting into.

The Danish coach added about the Dutchman: “He is taking steps forward. He’s getting into the right areas, and now it’s just the last decisive pass and action that can make the difference. His fitness is growing, his intensity is growing. He’s come to a country where you need to train with high intensity. It’s a league which plays with high intensity, and I’m asking him to work harder.

“Then he comes into our team, where we are finding our way together. Even though he’s quite an experienced 22-year-old, he’s still coming to a new country. I think it’s very normal, but I’m sitting down with him, I’m evaluating him, and he is taking steps forward.”

Jamie Carragher believes Tottenham did a very impressive piece of business in the summer transfer window.

Spurs brought seven new players through the door in the summer, and some of them hit the ground running better than others.

While Mohammed Kudus has been universally acknowledged as Tottenham’s best player this season, another experienced signing has quickly made himself an indispensable part of the club’s starting eleven.

Joao Palhinha is delivering impressive numbers out of possession, which comes as no surprise to anyone who watched him during his Fulham days.

Jamie Carragher believes Joao Palhinha is exactly what Tottenham needed

Some Spurs fans have questioned whether Palhinha offers enough on the ball, but Carragher believes that the 31-year-old is a good fit for Thomas Frank’s system.

However, the Liverpool legend also acknowledged that we have to see an evolution in Tottenham’s midfield, particularly when they play at home.

Carragher wrote in The Telegraph: “The best signing under Frank so far is Joao Palhinha, a highly effective ball-winner more so than a playmaker.

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“In the early stages of his Spurs career, Palhinha is exactly what Frank and his new club need, and it could bring instant success.

“Going forward, there will have to be an evolution, as the pairing of Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur is perceived by supporters to be over-cautious in home games.”

Can Spurs overcome the Palhinha-Bentancur problem?

The numbers suggest that Palhinha and Bentancur both rarely pass the ball forward, and that is seen by many as the main source of Tottenham’s creative issues.

However, Frank has reiterated that he is happy with Tottenham’s midfield balance, and it appears unlikely that the Dane is going to change his selections.

The answer for the Lilywhites may lie in entering the market in January for a deep-lying playmaker, who is good on the ball but does not represent much of a downgrade defensively on either Bentancur or Palhinha. The issue is that those players are hard to find and will not come cheaply.

New dates and times have been announced for four of Tottenham’s Premier League fixtures in late December and early January.

Tottenham have had a relatively easy start to the season fixture-wise, but the calendar is now getting much trickier for Thomas Frank’s men.

Spurs are in the middle of a ‘month of death’ in the Premier League, with big games following each other closely.

Tottenham also enter a crucial phase of their Champions League campaign, with the Lilywhites needing to get wins on the board to put themselves in a strong position to qualify for the knockout stages of the competition.

It has now been announced that one of Tottenham’s fixtures in late December and three of their clashes in early January 2026 have been rearranged.

Here are the new dates and timings for Spurs’ away clashes against Crystal Palace, Bournemouth, and Brentford, as well as their home clash against Sunderland:

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Tottenham have double-digit injury absences at the moment, and Frank will be hoping the squad’s fitness improves as the schedule gets even busier by the turn of the year.

Spurs will be without two players in late December and early January

Apart from the injury situation, the Lilywhites know that they will also lose two key players in December as the African Cup of Nations gets underway.

Pape Sarr and Yves Bissouma could potentially miss seven matches due to AFCON if either Senegal or Mali go all the way in the competition.

Tottenham Hotspur fans will love Harry Redknapp’s prediction ahead of the Chelsea clash, as Spurs look to improve their home record.

Thomas Frank will be hoping to end Tottenham Hotspur’s bizarre record against Chelsea, with the Blues having secured victory over the Lilywhites in each of their last four meetings.

Spurs face a Chelsea side desperate to get back to winning ways following their 2-1 defeat to Sunderland, and Enzo Maresca’s men will be eager to take advantage of Tottenham’s inconsistent home form.

Frank’s side have managed just one win in four home league games this season, the fourth worst record in the division, and that will be an area he knows must improve quickly if Spurs are to stay among the top sides.

Harry Redknapp backs Tottenham in Chelsea prediction

Speaking to Bet Victor, former Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp shared his thoughts ahead of the London derby, admitting it was a difficult one to call but ultimately siding with his former club.

He said: “What a game this is, and what a hard one to predict! 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.

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“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.

“One to watch – 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.”

Score Prediction: Spurs 2-1 Chelsea

Spurs fans remain key to improving poor home form

Tottenham will be desperate to improve their home record, and Saturday’s game provides the perfect opportunity to do so, as Frank looks to keep pace with London rivals Arsenal who sit of the League table.

Spurs fans have stood by their team through the toughest moments, with 5,000 of them making the trip to St James’ Park in midweek to support their side, only to see them fall to defeat.