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Hello and welcome to football.london for live coverage of Enzo Maresca's post-match press conference after Chelsea's 1-0 win against Tottenham this evening.

Joao Pedro's 34th-minute strike proved to be enough for the Blues, who secured their fifth successive victory against Spurs. Chelsea kept the hosts really quiet throughout the game and restricted them to very little in the way of clear-cut opportunities in north London.

Maresca's side have moved back into the top four with the crucial three points and have responded perfectly after last weekend's defeat to Sunderland in the Premier League. Maresca is due to speak to the media very shortly to give his verdict on what we have just seen.

Here are our Tottenham player ratings after their dismal derby defeat to Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday evening

Tottenham Hotspur whimpered to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of London rivals Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday and here are our Spurs player ratings.

Spurs had captain Cristian Romero, left-back Destiny Udogie and winger Wilson Odobert back on the bench but lost Lucas Bergvall within seven minutes of the match starting after the 19-year-old was struck on the back of the head by the ball and looked wobbly on his feet. The teenager was furious as he was told to come off and was replaced by Xavi Simons, who Tottenham signed after the Dutchman was linked with Chelsea all summer.

Chelsea opened the scoring 34 minutes into a first half lacking in quality, which was summed up by the goal. First Djed Spence gave the ball away before Spurs got it back only for Xavi to underhit a pass to Micky van de Ven and the Dutch defender lost it in trying to dribble past Moises Caicedo who found Joao Pedro to score.

The home side barely laid a glove on their visitors other than a couple of Mohammed Kudus efforts before the break and had Guglielmo Vicario to thank for it not being a far heavier defeat on the night. Tottenham's XG of 0.05 was their lowest on record from 2012-13 onwards in a Premier League match.

Here are our Spurs player ratings after a dismal performance in N17:

Guglielmo Vicario

Denied Joao Pedro with a good one-vs-one save but could not keep out the Brazilian's close range effort in the 34th minute. Made an acrobatic stop from the same player before the break. Saved from Neto with just over 15 minutes to go and then a great save from Joao Pedro in added time. The only player to come away with any credit from the game and he stopped it being an utter embarrassment. 9

Pedro Porro

Had a pass deflected back to Joao Pedro for a big chance in the first half. Struggled to make things happen with his passing loose for much of the encounter. 4

Kevin Danso

Joao Pedro got past him easily for a chance before the break. The Austrian international has had some good games in recent weeks but this was not one of them as he struggled against the Brazilian for much of it. 5

Micky van de Ven

Tried to run past Caicedo on the edge of his box and lost the ball for the goal. Along with many of his team-mates he just looked off the pace despite his rest in midweek. Panicked on the ball after that mistake for the Chelsea goal. 4

Djed Spence

Tried to drive the team on but was guilty of sloppy play at times. 5

Joao Palhinha

The pick of a poor bunch in midfield as at least he looked composed on the ball. 6

Rodrigo Bentancur

Got a yellow for a late lunge on James when he might have got worse. Never really looked to have control in the centre of the pitch and came off before the hour mark. 5

Mohammed Kudus

Spurs' main attacking threat on the night with a shot over and one saved in the first half. Chelsea knew he was the only threat though and doubled up on him throughout. 6

Pape Matar Sarr

Involved in teeing up Kudus for his chance late in the first half. Offered very little else in a weak performance. 4

Lucas Bergvall

Lasted just four minutes before taking a whack to the back of his head when the ball hit him. The young Swede looked dazed and the decision was made to take him off despite his frustration as he pushed the medical staff away before heading down the tunnel. N/A

Randal Kolo Muani

Didn't have much to work with but started a break for Kudus to shoot before the break. Came off with just over 15 minutes to go. 5

Subs

Xavi Simons

Came on just seven minutes in when the decision was finally made to take Bergvall off. Struggled throughout and sold Van de Ven short with a pass that the Dutchman still could have cleared. Picked up a yellow card in the second half for a desperate lunge on Garnacho. Other than a couple of nice touches the Dutchman was a passenger against the team he was linked with all summer. 3

Richarlison

Offered very little when he came on for the final half hour and instead fell over a lot. 4

Cristian Romero

Brought some urgency to proceedings at least in his cameo from the bench. 6

Brennan Johnson

Barely saw the ball other than one run and cross into a near empty box. 4

Destiny Udogie

Didn't provide the attacking width required. 4

Wilson Odobert

Big chance for Chelsea missed

Big chance for Joao Pedro saved by Vicario. Porro gave it away in a dangerous position.

Chelsea's best chance so far.

The next Nani?

Former Manchester United and Portugal winger Nani believes Estevao Willian has a big future at Chelsea.

Nani, speaking to the Covers.com soccer betting team, said: “Estevao is a fantastic player and he’s very skinny, so he reminds me of myself at his age! I like this kind of young player who isn't afraid when given the opportunity to play.

“He's the type of player who comes on, shows what he can do, takes players on, and connects with others. I see a lot of talent there. There is a big future in front of him if he gets the opportunity at Chelsea.”

'They seem to be in a better place'

Harry Redknapp disagrees with Alan Shearer and believes Tottenham will have enough to come away with all three points. Redknapp told football betting site BetVictor: "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.

"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."

After predicting Spurs to win 2-1, Redknapp was asked for his player to watch. He said: "I’m not expecting him to score two again, but what a top player [Micky] van de Ven is and when he’s at his best, Spurs are a very good side."

Alan Shearer prediction

Alan Shearer is predicting a tight contest in north London. Speaking to Betfair the Premier League legend said: "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."

Here's what Thomas Frank said ahead of the game

We've got every word Thomas Frank said in his press conference, with positive injury updates on four Spurs players, two he was more cautious about, if he will play with a back five against Chelsea, what he wants from the Tottenham fans and one 'crazy' Postecoglou game and you can find that all in a full transcript by heading right here.

Predicted Chelsea line-up

Of course, Enzo Maresca will make several changes to the Chelsea side that were victorious in Wolverhampton in midweek.

The Blues fielded very much a second-string side at Molineux and Maresca is expected to revert back to something close to his strongest XI this evening.

Does that mean a start for Jamie Gittens? Or will Maresca continue to trust Alejandro Garnacho in the Premier League? Bobby Vincent discusses below...

Read Bobby's predicted XI here.

There were fireworks the last time Spurs and Chelsea met at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with goals galore and one player having to apologise for their actions

Tottenham welcome Chelsea on Saturday evening, with manager Thomas Frank eager to ensure his side avoids repeating the errors that proved costly in last season's corresponding fixture.

In December, Spurs midfielder Yves Bissouma was forced to issue an apology following his team's dramatic collapse against the Blues, having established a commanding 2-0 lead inside the opening 12 minutes.

Last year, then-manager Ange Postecoglou witnessed his side surrender their lead and ultimately lose 4-3, as his team conceded two penalties that Chelsea capitalised upon. Bissouma was at fault for the opening spot-kick after bringing down Moises Caicedo on the hour mark, allowing Cole Palmer to equalise.

After the defeat for Spurs, Bissouma took to social media afterwards to apologise to both team-mates and supporters for his reckless challenge that ignited the turnaround. He wrote: "I'm so sad for that mistake it's burning me because we lost the game today from this mistake.

"I feel sorry for my team-mates, staff and fans. I take all the responsibility for that one. I'll learn from this one, it's time now to show the real me. Thanks for all the support."

Liverpool icon Jamie Carragher was among numerous pundits to condemn Bissouma's rash error inside the penalty area, controversially suggesting the midfielder was "brain dead" for attempting the tackle.

Speaking on Sky Sports at the time, the former Red said: "I've said all day that some of the things Tottenham players do is absolutely ridiculous. It's a certain penalty, and it was his (Bissouma's) mistake initially on the far side, losing the ball to [Pedro] Neto.

"And he maybe comes flying across thinking, 'I've got to try and rectify this in some way'. He was really poor on the first challenge on Neto. That is absolutely brain dead. I mean, who'd be a manager?"

Postecoglou expressed his frustration with the error, describing it as "unnecessary." The former Spurs boss said: "In the second half they came out and put us under pressure.

"I felt we were handling it not too badly and then when they scored we had a big moment at 2-2 to go 3-2 up and in these kind of games, those moments are important. We don't take it and then both penalties were poor on our behalf.

"They're self-inflicted and unnecessary challenges. We've given them two goals away for no reason and given ourselves a mountain to climb which proved too hard."

Bissouma will be absent from Saturday evening's fixture at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium due to an ankle problem as the two teams clash once more.

Supporters will be anticipating another thrilling encounter similar to last season's meeting. With both sides having netted 17 goals across nine matches, an entertaining spectacle looks likely.

Here is the Tottenham Hotspur team that Thomas Frank has picked to take on Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday evening

Thomas Frank has made four changes to his Tottenham team as they welcome Chelsea on Saturday in the Premier League.

Spurs have got a trio of players back from their long injury list with Frank getting captain Cristian Romero, left-back Destiny Udogie and winger Wilson Odobert back in contention for the derby, with all three on the bench. Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario returns between the sticks after needing some treatment in midweek and both Micky van de Ven and Mohammed Kudus are back the starting line-up after being rested in the Carabao Cup defeat at Newcastle United.

Randal Kolo Muani makes his second consecutive Premier League start up front with Richarlison on the bench, while Lucas Bergvall and Pape Matar Sarr keep their places in the midfield. With the number of central midfielders involved, it could be a back three with Joao Palhinha once again in defence or a diamond in the centre of the pitch with two forwards up top.

Xavi Simons is on the bench against the team he was linked with for much of the summer before joining Tottenham.

Here's the Tottenham team Frank has chosen to face Chelsea:

The former Tottenham player showed a very different side to himself when he was unveiled on a major television show in his homeland

Ask Tottenham fans to describe Toby Alderweireld and they're more likely to remember an unflappable centre-back than a singing owl, but that's exactly what the Belgian was revealed as on Friday night.

The 36-year-old defender played for Tottenham over six years and formed one of the club's best ever central defensive partnerships with his compatriot Jan Vertonghen. Alderweireld turned out 236 times for the north London outfit and was a key part of Mauricio Pochettino's side that reached the Champions League final in 2019.

When Alderweireld left Spurs in 2021, he had a brief stint in Qatar before embarking on a memorable final chapter in his career at his hometown club Royal Antwerp. The Belgian scored a dramatic last-gasp goal to land them their first league title in 66 years in 2023 and then led them into the Champions League group stages for the first time in their history before announcing his retirement at the end of last season.

Many wondered what the next move would be for Alderweireld, who played 127 times for his country, but few would have expected it to come on Belgium's version of The Masked Singer.

Yet it was revealed on Friday night that the former Ajax, Atletico Madrid and Southampton defender had been strutting his stuff and singing songs such as The Killers' classic Mr. Brightside as Oehoe, the show's eagle-owl. When Alderweireld was finally unmasked in the most recent episode, despite singing and dancing with a giant owl head on to Liquido's Narcotic, his hair was unsurprisingly perfect when the mask was taken off.

It's perhaps worth noting that Royal Antwerp's mascot is an owl and the club's stadium, Bosuilstadion, is also called The Owl's Nest.

"This hurts a little bit," Alderweireld said on the show after his run came to an end. "As a competitive person, I would have liked to stay in it a bit longer."

He added: "I considered giving up a few times, but in the end, I decided to keep going. I look back on it with a big smile."

Alderweireld posted on Instagram after the episode aired: "And that’s a wrap for me on The Masked Singer! I had the best time performing and keeping the secret alive. Massive thanks to my partner in feathers, Oehoe. What a ride!"

Some in Belgium had begun to suspect it was the former Tottenham man and he was asked about it in a recent podcast appearance.

'I've been asked that question a few times," he said during his appearance on HLN Voetbalpodcast. "I know of the question, but who knows? Who knows? Do I have a set answer to that question? Well, no, I don't know myself. So maybe that's the answer I have to give."

It turns out those eagle-eyed, or eared, viewers were right as Alderweireld was finally unmasked this week on the hit television show.

Premier League action returns with Chelsea making the short trip to London rivals Tottenham

Tottenham and Chelsea go head to head at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday with both sides keen to get one over on their London rivals. Spurs know a win in north London would propel them into second place, while the Blues could move up into the top four should results go their way.

Chelsea have won the last four meetings between the sides and Thomas Frank's men will want to put that right this time around. Both sides have struggled for consistency, however, and it should make for an interesting game.

Alan Shearer is predicting both sides to come away with a point. Speaking to Betfair the Premier League legend said: "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."

Harry Redknapp, meanwhile, disagrees with Shearer and believes Tottenham will have enough to come away with all three points. Redknapp told football betting site BetVictor: " 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.

"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."

After predicting Spurs to win 2-1, Redknapp was asked for his player to watch. He said: "I’m not expecting him to score two again, but what a top player [Micky] van de Ven is and when he’s at his best, Spurs are a very good side."

Injured Chelsea star Cole Palmer has not been afraid to share a joke at Tottenham's expense before Saturday's London derby at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where he won't be able to play

Chelsea star Cole Palmer has cheekily poked fun at Tottenham Hotspur ahead of Saturday's clash in north London.

The Blues travel to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (5:30pm kick-off) hoping to return to winning ways in the Premier League after their shock 2-1 defeat to Sunderland at Stamford Bridge last weekend. Spurs, meanwhile, know a win over their London rivals will propel them into second place in the league.

One player who won't feature in the derby is Palmer, who has been nursing a groin injury for much of the season. The Chelsea midfielder was raced back from the treatment room in September, only to aggravate the problem a week later.

But that hasn't stopped Palmer from sending a playful reminder to Spurs about what happened in the same fixture last season ahead of Saturday evening's showdown.

The 23-year-old used a crying with laughter emoji on his Instagram story alongside reposting a ‘last time out at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium’ highlights package, where he audaciously chipped a penalty straight down the middle during a 4-3 win for the Blues.

Chelsea may have an excellent overall record against Spurs, but Maresca believes the game will be 'difficult' for his side.

"Tottenham, I think they are doing very good," he said in Friday's pre-match press conference. "They finished last season winning the Europa League.

"They started very good this season and also because it's a derby for sure it would be a difficult game."

Palmer will not be the only absentee for Maresca's team. Striker Liam Delap will be suspended for the Premier League fixture after being sent off against Wolves in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.

Maresca offered a stern response to the forward's decision-making, which resulted in the sending off, and has now been asked again about his comments.

"Probably because I'm not from England so sometimes when I try to translate from Italian to English sometimes it's a bit different," he said. "Liam when he's inside the pitch is more focused to do his battle against the central defender than the rest.

"This was what I was telling, what I was trying to say after that game."

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Gus Poyet spent four years at Chelsea and won various domestic cup honours as well as a European trophy in his debut season, but his time at the club ended in anger

Gus Poyet admitted that he was "naive" to have made the switch from Chelsea to Tottenham. He claims his departure was a consequence of Claudio Ranieri's tenure at Stamford Bridge.

Poyet spent four successful years with the Blues, winning numerous domestic cups and a European trophy in his first season. He has taken time to reflect on his controversial move between the two London clubs.

The historic rivalry between Spurs and Chelsea, which Poyet confesses he was oblivious to at the time of his transfer, will be reignited this Saturday when they face off in the Premier League at 5.30pm.

During his time at Stamford Bridge, the Uruguayan quickly became a crowd favourite, netting 49 goals and providing 16 assists in 144 appearances. However, his decision to cross the London divide and join Tottenham in 2001 left a sour taste.

Chelsea, who had signed Poyet on a free transfer, accepted nearly £3million from Tottenham for the midfielder's services in the summer of 2001. This coincided with Ranieri's settling-in period in London, a time when the Italian faced backlash for selling popular players, including Dennis Wise.

In a 2012 interview with The Standard, Poyet criticised his former boss, stating that his move across London was not within his control. He said: "I still have a strong feeling for them. I played in a very good Chelsea team and for most of the time we were in control of games.

"We won very good trophies in England and in Europe and it was one of the best times in my career. I took a lot of stick from the Chelsea supporters for joining Tottenham, but I had to stay in London for the sake of my childrens' education.

"I was a victim of Claudio Ranieri's changes. I had a year left on my contract and was still very fit to play, but the manager thought I couldn't play week in, week out. The same thing happened to Dennis Wise and he had been the captain for 11 years."

Poyet went on to acknowledge his inexperience regarding the animosity between Spurs and Chelsea, adding: "I knew I was joining a rival club but I didn't view it in those terms.

"I asked myself what the great, great rivalries are in London and I would say it's Tottenham-Arsenal. Maybe people might now add Tottenham-Chelsea, but for me it is not up there with Arsenal.

"So I didn't have that pressure from my side, although I realised afterwards because of the reaction from the Chelsea supporters who asked how it was possible that I was coming to Spurs and how I was betraying them."

Last year, Poyet emphasised his ignorance about the hostility between the two London clubs, telling Full Circle with Bet365: "I will be honest, I was very naive, very naive. I swear by it, it isn't a lie, I had no idea how close they were and all the reactions I would get from Chelsea supporters.

"My explanation is a simple one, because when I played for Chelsea, the two teams that I wanted to beat were Arsenal and Man United. They were the ones winning the league, I wasn't even thinking about Spurs with respect to them. There was even more of a fight against Leeds because of the previous history between the teams, more than when Chelsea played Spurs."

Poyet added: "When I was at Chelsea, it was during a time when we were beating Spurs often enough that no one made a big deal about it and it just seemed like a normal game. I had a couple of offers from some teams out of the country and another option being at Spurs, and I wanted to stay in London.

"So then I moved, and Glenn Hoddle was a big part of that, but after the news had broken it was crazy. I didn't know what I had done, it was madness. It was only then that I realised, but the truth was that I was very naive.

"I didn't realise it would be so dramatic, but now I'm on the other side with a team that didn't beat Chelsea for however long. As much as I loved Chelsea, my character meant I had to do everything in my power to win for Spurs now.

"The first couple of games against Chelsea, we lost, but we eventually beat them on the third attempt I think. It was a strange night, but it was important as a professional."

Here's the Tottenham Hotspur team that we reckon Thomas Frank will select to face Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday evening

Thomas Frank finally has some key players back and available for selection as Tottenham host Chelsea on Saturday in the Premier League.

Spurs' injury problems have once again spiked to a level that has seen the number of unavailable players reaching double figures but Frank at least confirmed on Friday that captain Cristian Romero, left-back Destiny Udogie and winger Wilson Odobert are all back in contention for this weekend's derby.

Romero could be thrown straight back into the action in the heart of the defence, such is his influence on the team, but the Spurs boss may hold Udogie and Odobert back in reserve to come on later in the match as fresh legs down the left against Enzo Maresca's side at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario is expected to return between the sticks after needing some treatment in midweek while Micky van de Ven and Mohammed Kudus will also return to the starting line-up after being rested from it in the Carabao Cup defeat at Newcastle United.

Frank will have to decide whether Lucas Bergvall or Pape Matar Sarr keep their spots in midfield with Joao Palhinha able to return from his central defensive role at St James' Park. Randal Kolo Muani could also get a second consecutive Premier League start up front in place of Richarlison.

Here's the Tottenham team we reckon Frank could select to face Chelsea: