Fresh off a scintillating 5-1 midweek triumph at Southampton, Chelsea take a short cross-capital trip to entertain fierce rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday late afternoon.
Reduced to ten men already in the first half, Russell Martin’s out-of-sorts side couldn’t handle the red-hot Pensioners at St Mary’s Stadium, enabling Chelsea to maintain their formidable road form.
Enzo Maresca has turned the Blues into confident travellers, overseeing an eye-catching five wins from seven away league matches this season, with only Liverpool bettering his side’s 16-point haul on the road.
However, the table-topping Reds suffered a late heartache at Newcastle United on Wednesday, allowing the Stamford Bridge outfit to close the gap to seven points.
Firmly back in title conversations after two sub-par league campaigns, the six-time Premier League champions climbed to second at the end of Matchday 14.
As Sky Sports evaluate Chelsea’s incredible transformation under Maresca, the Blues gear up for a decisive London derby at Spurs’ home ground.
Chelsea’s status as favourites in the Premier League betting odds highlights how impressive Maresca’s work has been since he arrived in West London.
Different mindset
It’s fair to say that former Chelsea boss Maurizio Pochettino laid the groundwork for the Blues’ resurgence, providing Maresca a platform to build on.
However, that takes nothing away from the 44-year-old’s stellar job, especially when it comes to extracting full potential from several unsettled first-team aces.
Noni Madueke is among numerous Blues stars who have undergone a renaissance under the Italian tactician, thanking his manager for helping him improve after the Southampton game via Prime Video.
Madueke’s strike at St Mary’s was his fifth of the season, testifying to his noticeable improvement from a bit-part player in the previous system to one of Chelsea’s standout performers in Maresca’s set-up.
The highly-rated manager needs all hands on deck to take three points at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium against one of the most unpredictable teams in the division.
Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde
Guessing Tottenham’s performance on any occasion is as good as flipping a coin.
Only a fortnight ago, Ange Postecoglou’s side inflicted Manchester City’s heaviest home defeat in the Premier League in over two decades, strolling to a 4-0 triumph at the Etihad Stadium.
Little did Spurs fans know the same team that tore the perennial English champions to pieces would slump to a 1-1 home draw to Fulham only a week later.
That stalemate forms part of Tottenham’s three-game winless home run on home turf, increasing the likelihood of another Chelsea triumph outside the Bridge.
Maresca’s men can by no means afford to underestimate Spurs.
Favourable match-up
Even though Chelsea blew hot and cold for most of last season, they had no issues pulling off a league double over Tottenham.
In addition to a landslide 2-0 home win in May, the Blues dismantled Spurs 4-1 in this corresponding fixture in November 2023.
That triumph was Chelsea’s fourth in their last five Premier League away meetings with the Lilywhites.
A 2-0 loss under Graham Potter’s tutelage in February 2023 remains the only blemish on this near-faultless run.
Chelsea can draw further confidence from the fact that they’ve avoided defeat in ten of their last 11 top-flight clashes against Spurs at any venue.
Title credentials on the line
It’s almost impossible to expect this Liverpool side to drop points in back-to-back matches, especially considering they take on relegation-battling Everton.
Heavily expected to return to the win column in Saturday lunchtime kick-off, the Reds will likely ramp the pressure back up on Chelsea.
If Maresca’s men are to prove they’re title material, beating Tottenham is imperative.
With confidence sky high, the Blues are in good shape to do just that.