Over the coming weekends Chelsea host successive league games against traditional foes before the next international break and they do not come weightier than this cross-city clash of west and north.

It is the Blues’ first game this season in a time-slot that has not recently been fruitful, with just seven points taken from the last possible 21 and a current run of two straight losses. However, we are undefeated in the past eight London derbies home and away played at this time, including a 1-0 defeat of our capital rivals in the reverse fixture last season.

Roberto De Zerbi’s visitors were winless in all top-flight games this season until beating Frank Lampard’s Coventry City 3-1 at home on Monday, climbing out of the relegation zone as a result.

Xabi Alonso’s Blues made what felt like a step forward with Saturday’s 2-0 victory at bogey side Everton and returned to the UEFA Champions League qualification places.

Chelsea have taken the lead in six of our seven league outings to date – the complete opposite to Spurs – and have taken an average of just four minutes to open the scoring at the Bridge.

Last May, the corresponding fixture ended 2-1 with Enzo Fernandez and Andrey Santos netting for the hosts to extend Spurs’ relegation reckoning to the final day.

Chelsea have a remarkable home record against our second-oldest top-flight capital rivals and can make club history by beating the Cockerels an unprecedented seventh time in a row in the Premier League. Up to now, the Blues have beaten the Lilywhites 83 times across all competitions, more than any other opponent.

Team news

Alonso confirmed in his pre-match press conference after Friday's training session that Malo Gusto was fit to return against Tottenham, having missed our win at Everton the previous weekend, but Pep Chavarria, Jamie Gittens and Emiliano Martinez remain unavailable.

'Malo is fine,' the Blues manager explained. 'Pep is training a little bit more, but he is not going to make it [for the Tottenham game].

'Emi had the surgery and day-by-day he is feeling better, but we still need to wait. A few weeks. Hopefully, less than more, but we need to wait.'

Emmanuel Emegha will also miss out. The striker has yet to feature since arriving this summer, but is making progress in his comeback. ‘He’s feeling better, but we need to wait,' said Alonso.

The history

Chelsea are undefeated in eight league derbies with this kick-off time, since Boxing Day 2020, winning seven, including at Tottenham a year ago at the Bridge through Joao Pedro’s stealthy finish.

Down the Thames at Craven Cottage in mid-January 2021, Mason Mount settled the result late on, and some time after Antonee Robinson had been red carded. Four months later in the return against Fulham at the Bridge, Kai Havertz struck twice without reply to claim all the points in the west London derby.

The German also drew early first blood at Crystal Palace in April, with Christian Pulisic quickly making it two inside 10 minutes. Kurt Zouma added a third for the visitors before Christian Benteke pulled one back for the shell-shocked hosts. Pulisic’s second made the last quarter-hour comfortable and it finished 4-1 to Chelsea.

Two weeks later, at West Ham United’s London Stadium, Timo Werner netted the only goal of the game in the first half, Fabian Balbuema’s 81st-minute dismissal easing any nerves.

At Brentford in October 2021, with fans back in the stadium, Ben Chilwell was the only name on the scoresheet, on the brink of half-time, with our only shot on target as Edouard Mendy kept the Bees at bay for Thomas Tuchel.

A year ago at the Bridge, against this weekend’s visitors, with early fireworks fizzing the night sky, Moises Caicedo pounced on defensive uncertainty to set up Joao Pedro for the 1-0 winner.

At the end of January 2026, Jarrod Bowen curled in West Ham’s opener in west London and Crysencio Summerville doubled their shock lead before the break. But Nuno Espírito Santo’s side were taken to task in the second half, with Joao Pedro’s close-range header halving the deficit before Marc Cucurella’s brave dive produced the leveller.

Joao Pedro turned provider for Fernandez to drive in what proved the decisive finish, after which Anthony Taylor resolved a stoppage-time fracas with a red card for visiting defender Jean-Clair Todibo.

Know this...

Tottenham are Morgan Rogers’ favourite opponent, the Chelsea forward scoring a career-high four times against the Lilywhites.

The Blues have won 55.7 per cent of ground duels – the most in this season’s top flight.

Chelsea have now scored three goals in the opening minute of a half in the Premier League to date, our joint-most in a single campaign (alongside the entire 2011/12 season).

Until last Saturday at Everton, Chelsea had not kept a clean sheet in the Premier League since the same 2-0 scoreline at home to Brentford on 17 January, 22 games ago.

Pedro Neto had never previously scored twice in a Premier League game, though he had netted a hat-trick for the Blues against Hull City in the FA Cup.

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