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Three key clashes as Chelsea hosts Spurs: N’Golo Kante vs. Harry Kane

By Varun Dani

Tottenham Hotspur's English striker Harry Kane (R) takes on Chelsea's French midfielder N'Golo Kante (L) during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea at Wembley Stadium in London, on August 20, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALL / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo credit should read BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images)
Tottenham Hotspur's English striker Harry Kane (R) takes on Chelsea's French midfielder N'Golo Kante (L) during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea at Wembley Stadium in London, on August 20, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALL / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo credit should read BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Socially distanced fans watch from the stands as Chelsea’s Moroccan midfielder Hakim Ziyech goes to take a corner during the pre-season friendly football match between Brighton and Hove Albion and Chelsea at the American Express Community Stadium in Brighton, southern England on August 29, 2020. – The game is a ‘pilot’ event where a small number of fans will be present on a socially-distanced basis. The aim is to get fans back into stadiums in the Premier League by October. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP) (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)
Socially distanced fans watch from the stands as Chelsea’s Moroccan midfielder Hakim Ziyech goes to take a corner during the pre-season friendly football match between Brighton and Hove Albion and Chelsea at the American Express Community Stadium in Brighton, southern England on August 29, 2020. – The game is a ‘pilot’ event where a small number of fans will be present on a socially-distanced basis. The aim is to get fans back into stadiums in the Premier League by October. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP) (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images) /

3. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg vs. Hakim Ziyech

On the topic of central defensive monsters, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg can stake his claim for being one of the signings of the season. The Dane specializes in doing all of the dirty work for his side, liberating players like Kane and Son to help them blossom up front. His area of expertise ensures that he goes under the radar in the eyes of the masses, but is the perfect protege for a man like Mourinho.

If there is one type of player the Portuguese manager actively looks out for, it’s a rough midfielder who can absorb waves of offensive pressure and recycle possession for rapid counter-attacks. From Thiago Motta to Xabi Alonso to Nemanja Matic, every successful Mourinho side has a defensive general at its helm who is almost certain to go unnoticed. Hojbjerg seems to be that player of Mourinho’s table-topping side, tackling and recovering everything in his sight. Mourinho will have instructed the Dane to keep his sight firmly set on a certain Moroccan Magician on Sunday.

When Ziyech arrived at Chelsea, the hope was that the former Ajax player would try to fill the void left by Eden Hazard. Chelsea was in dire of a talisman who would take up the responsibility of making things happen in the final third. Instead, what the club got was the perfect blend of Hazard and Mata; a dream forward. Ziyech is a winger and playmaker in equal proportions, doing seemingly whatever he wants with a football. He is an artist with a certain swagger about him and an elite mentality that seems to be rubbing off on his teammates. From mazy dribbles to inch-perfect crosses to set-piece speciality and an eye for long shots, there is nothing Ziyech cannot do. Unlike Mata and Hazard, however, Ziyech is extremely capable with the defensive side of things, pressing and tracking constantly.

Lampard will be thanking his stars and scratching his head simultaneously that no other top club tried to sign this magical Moroccan. On paper, he is exactly the kind of attacker Mourinho would have loved to have, but one he needs to plot against on Sunday. Much like he did with Hazard and Ander Herrera in his Manchester United days, Mourinho could well deploy Hojbjerg to shadow Ziyech and mark him out of the game.

Chelsea without Ziyech is a set of great individuals, but the winger is the visionary who pieces the Blues’ best traits together and makes them a great team. He was Lampard’s first signing for a reason, as the Englishman knows the difference between title contenders and title winners is a player similar to Ziyech. Mourinho, for his part, knows that the difference between title contenders and title winners is taking out a player like Ziyech. He will do everything in his power to do so and marking him out with Hojbjerg is certain to be his gambit. The only question that remains is, is it really possible to render Ziyech useless?

Next. Chelsea: The apprentice has now become the master. dark

What key clashes will you be looking out for? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!

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