Chelsea face Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge on the second day of the 2022/23 Premier League season on Sunday.
The Blues come into the match off the back of a 1-0 win at Goodison Park, thanks to a Jorginho penalty.
Spurs, on the other hand, started with a home victory over Southampton thanks to goals from Ryan Sessegnon, Eric Dier, Mohammed Salisu (OG) and Dejan Kulusevski.
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Speaking in the build-up to the game, Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel admitted that he is expecting a highly competitive affair as both teams are looking to continue their winning start to the season.
He said: “I never felt a huge gap in preparing these matches because they are close matches and they are a very competitive and talented squad.
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“I know very well what we invested and what level we played to beat them four times (last season) and not concede a goal against this quality of the team.
“In an emotional game in London like this, which means so much for everybody, it was a huge effort and big consecutive performances from us.
“I don’t believe everything that Antonio Conte says in games, before games and after games like this. I admire him a lot and I believe strongly that every team he trains competes for everything no matter which team, what club it is. This is what he proves right now.”
The head coach also confirmed that both Marcos Alonso and Mateo Kovacic will not feature in the London derby.
Alonso is set for a transfer to Barcelona, while Kovacic has suffered a knee injury and will miss the clash.
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Predicted Chelsea XI: Mendy, Azpilicueta, Silva, Koulibaly, James, Jorginho, Jorginho, Cucurella, Mount, Havertz, Sterling
Edouard Mendy is the Blues’ number one and bar a late injury he should be named between the sticks.
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Tuchel could opt to stick for the same back three, who kept a clean sheet against Everton, despite Kalidou Koulibaly being substituted with fatigue.
With Kovacic injured, N’Golo Kante and Jorginho are set to keep their place as the midfield duo for Tuchel, with new signing Marc Cucurella potentially handed his first start.
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The Spaniard looked sharp as a substitute at Goodison Park, replacing Ben Chilwell despite arriving just 24 hours before the match.
Having had a week in training now, Tuchel could hand him a first start as he looks to manage Chilwell’s minutes at the start of the season as the Englishman returns from an ACL injury.
Reece James will no doubt be selected on the other side, while Tuchel could stick with the front three from last weekend as he looks to build relationships in his attack.
Topics: Chelsea, Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur, Thomas Tuchel, Football
Nick Emms