A great start to the season where we've done the job against it must be said lower ranked teams moves up a level when we take on Spurs this Sunday.

Not having seen the Porto match hard to say who's lifting and who is falling but it seems certain that Bossy and Drogs will be back. Mikel not guaranteed a start, but could replace either Ballack or Essien. Joey will be on the bench and I'm guessing he'll get a few minutes this time round.

Spurs are coming off a loss and we can expect them to be fired up. Over the last 18 months we haven't done as well as we should in this fixture and I'm sure the boys will be out to set the record straight.

The late Sunday kickoff should suit the team, but not so good for Aussie fans.

As you have said ozboy, we have had a fairly easy start to the season and I must admit I am slightly concerned at the number of goals we have conceded despite the fact we have won all the games. Porto attacked us at pace last night and we struggled to deal with it on far too many occasions.

Spurs have lost Modric though and against Man Utd they looked very much like a team devoid of creativity. Lennon is on form just now but we have the full backs to deal with him and surely Carvalho will play to deal with the threat of Defoe.

Hopefully with the loss of Modric and the crushing defeat at Man Utd, Spuds will have lost momentum and we can f**king batter them.

Our performance against Porto was less than encouraging, but we'll have Drogba and Bosingwa back, as well as not having to play on an ice rink.

If we can score first and score relatively early, that's half the job done. Spurs have good players, but they lack grit and a fighting spirit.

Another thing is that we manage to keep Defoe and Lennon quiet, which we have all the resources to.

I'm a little perturbed going into this match as we seem to have lost our rythym a little but I think we show up on match day

I am going to prempt my m.o.m this Early,its going to be Lamps,due a stormer

I think our main problem against Porto was we just don't know how to play without Drogba..

Drogba is a great player and any team would miss him but with Chelsea it seems more than that, none of our recent Managers seem to tactically change the game enough to suit Anelka or whoever plays as main striker and the team still plays to Drogbas strengths when he isn't playing.

Hopefully this will mean the rythm is still there and we will click back into our momentum in the next game, it worries me slightly that we need to get this sorted before the ACN and hopefully get a few runouts for Sturridge if he is to be nearer the teamsheet then,

I do think Anelka is well good enough but our game needs to change to suit him even though the games when the ACN is on are reasonably kind.

I think our main problem against Porto was we just don't know how to play without Drogba..

Drogba is a great player and any team would miss him but with Chelsea it seems more than that, none of our recent Managers seem to tactically change the game enough to suit Anelka or whoever plays as main striker and the team still plays to Drogbas strengths when he isn't playing.

Hopefully this will mean the rythm is still there and we will click back into our momentum in the next game, it worries me slightly that we need to get this sorted before the ACN and hopefully get a few runouts for Sturridge if he is to be nearer the teamsheet then,

I do think Anelka is well good enough but our game needs to change to suit him even though the games when the ACN is on are reasonably kind.

I agree to an extent but still should note that Deco/Joey/Zhirkov/Bosingwa were missing too, with few of them on the field when Drogba is absent we should be able to cope better without Drogba.

I'm excited about Sp**'s game. Fresh and fit Drogba will demolish them!

Edited September 17, 200916 yr by mihk3l

Will be a hell of a game! At least I hope as I´ll be there cheering the team. Drogs, Boswinga and maybe even Joey give us an extra dimension and I think that Spurs without Modric are not going to challenge us if we are at our best.

I think the biggest danger will be giving Lennon space in behind our full backs. When we push forward at the moment we do leave a lot of space if possession is lost in the last third. Cole is quick enough to cover mostly, but still it is a concern.

I presume that Mikel will be playing given his complete absence from the squad on Tuesday.

I expect us to line up:

Cech

Bosingwa

Terry

Carvalho

Cole

Mikel

Essien

Ballack

Lampard

Anelka

Drogba

I think the biggest danger will be giving Lennon space in behind our full backs. When we push forward at the moment we do leave a lot of space if possession is lost in the last third. Cole is quick enough to cover mostly, but still it is a concern.

I presume that Mikel will be playing given his complete absence from the squad on Tuesday.

I expect us to line up:

Cech

Bosingwa

Terry

Carvalho

Cole

Mikel

Essien

Ballack

Lampard

Anelka

Drogba

Agree with the line up, failry nervous about this one to be honest, think it is a first acid test. Which is a credit to Harry Redknap.. shame it is the spuds. I think we will win though but by a goal or something. Stop Lennon and no service to Defoe will be the key I reckon but also keping an eye on the bench dwellers such as crouch, alsways seem sto nick one.... think they are crap at the back.

Agree with Ballack and Blu Lamps is due one and against Uncle Harry :)

Will Carlo be in goal for them ?? He is bound to let a couple in for us ;)

I agree to an extent but still should note that Deco/Joey/Zhirkov/Bosingwa were missing too, with few of them on the field when Drogba is absent we should be able to cope better without Drogba.

I'm excited about Sp**'s game. Fresh and fit Drogba will demolish them!

We going be far to strong for them with drog in no prob. Only defoe to worry about and JT will sort him.

Lately, we always seem to score against these guys with non-attacking players (Makelele, Belletti, Carvalho twice)....so I think Bosingwa, Mikel, and Cech will all get on the scoresheet :)

I am more than a little concerned about this game. Not only haven't we looked that great lately and we have conceded way too many goals against weaker teams, but we have also had trouble with Tottenham in the past. No matter how bad they have played they have always managed to do well against us. And now when they are actually playing really well (apart from perhaps against ManU) I'm a bit worried that they might actually have a good chance against us.

The only thing that makes me feel a bit better is the fact that they lost the last game against ManU and also that even if we haven't played that well we have still managed to win all our games. That is impressive.

We are playing at home and that should also help us so I'm hoping for a win. 2-1

So I work in a British pub here in Canada, there are quite a few ex-pats who work and go there, anyways me and a lady who comes from North London have been hyping this match up for sometime as I am the only Chelsea fan there and she the only Spurs fan. Needless to say I can't wait to rub this one in 'er face...

So I work in a British pub here in Canada, there are quite a few ex-pats who work and go there, anyways me and a lady who comes from North London have been hyping this match up for sometime as I am the only Chelsea fan there and she the only Spurs fan. Needless to say I can't wait to rub this one in 'er face...

Haha nice one. Over here Van we've got this one on T.V. so its going to be a nice 7am wake up to get prepared for the game.

I think it should be a close one...I'm hoping that with Drogs up top we have enough to bully them out of it...could do with giving Defoe some 'special attention' early on as well, see if we can rile his cage and make him disappear for the game.

Will Carlo be in goal for them ?? He is bound to let a couple in for us :)

Another reason to hope for better streams than we have had lately ;)

I'm starting to get a bit tense for this match already. Whatever we do during a season, the least we can do is do well against S***s!

i'm so looking forward to this match

this is our first real test in the league this season, no disrespect to the other teams we've played so far this season in the league but i dont think the spuds will be coming to play for a point, they will think they have a great chance, despite there loss to the mancs last week.

i think the openess of the game will mean quite a few goals hopefully they will all be to us

im not that concerened actually ... 2-0

cech

bosingwa

carvahlo

terry

a.cole

mikel

essien

lampard

malouda

drogba

anelka

http://msnsport.skysports.com/story/0,1952...5567612,00.html

The Daily Fail does it again.

"CHELSEA v Tottenham: Carlo Ancelotti gets double boost ahead of Spurs derby"

Oh, double boost? Who's coming back? Yuri? Paulo? Alex?

"Chelsea will welcome back Didier Drogba and Jose Bosingwa for Sunday's home clash with Tottenham.

The pair were suspended for the midweek Champions League win over Porto but are available for domestic games."

Thank you Daily Mail, thank you.

http://msnsport.skysports.com/story/0,1952...5567612,00.html

What he says is true really. He's talking more in terms of what has been achieved in the past and how both clubs are percieved around the world and fair to say the mancs are streets ahead of us on that scale HOWEVER as for this season they definitely ain't.

http://msnsport.skysports.com/story/0,1952...5567612,00.html

Let's hope Frankie does something about that.

If we're not in the same bracket as Man Utd, then Tottenham aren't in the same division.

Meh I think Redknapp is just trying to wind the Chelsea fans up, it's what managers do. I don't really get the point of it in this case as it surely won't be doing himself or his side any favours but...