Chelsea host Tottenham at Stamford Bridge on 24 October, with Spurs won once there since 1992

Chelsea under Alonso

Chelsea sit fourth in the Premier League table after winning their last two matches, 5-1 against Bournemouth and 2-0 against Everton. The Everton game brought their first league clean sheet since Liam Rosenior's first league game in charge in mid-January. Chelsea finished 10th in the previous campaign, a season in which both Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior left as head coaches. Chelsea's discipline was poor last season, and Xabi Alonso now appears to have improved it.

Bournemouth5

Everton2

Bournemouth

5 goals

Everton

2 goals

Data from the article text

Alonso said on Friday, 23 October, that he wants his team to play "with head, with heart, intelligently" and was asked whether Chelsea are further along than last season's side.

“I think there has been a progression in some parts.”

On emotional control, Alonso said it is a central part of the game for him.

“For me, this is a fundamental part of the game, to have that emotional control, to deal with all this.”

Tottenham's first win and fitness doubts

Tottenham recorded their first league win of the season at home to newly promoted Coventry on Monday night, 19 October. James Maddison scored the opening goal with a whipped effort, and Spurs held off a second-half fightback from Frank Lampard's side. A preview of the fixture says Tottenham's performances have been better than their results suggest, with pace and physicality in wide positions. Maddison, who was out for nearly a year with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, has not been able to train fully in the build-up and is unlikely to start. Roberto De Zerbi addressed the record against Chelsea in his pre-match press conference.

“There are many, many negative records, but for me it's one motivation more.”

The derby record

Chelsea have 83 wins over Tottenham across all meetings, against 55 for Spurs. Reports differ on the current streak, putting it at either six straight Premier League wins dating to February 2023 or seven in a row. Chelsea have also been unbeaten in this fixture since 2018. Tottenham have won only once on this ground since 1992.

Chelsea83

Tottenham55

Chelsea

83 wins

Tottenham

55 wins

Data from the article text

Kick-off

The match is due to kick off at 5:30pm BST on Saturday, 24 October, at Stamford Bridge. Maddison's fitness and Tottenham's wide options will be central to how De Zerbi sets up against Chelsea's attacking players. No result is available in the source reports at the time of writing.