Tottenham vs Chelsea: 3 Blues who must start

Just as it seemed everything was going great, Chelsea are seemingly back to square one. While the Blues latest Carabao Cup win against Blackburn Rovers will appease worrying fans for the moment, the truth remains that Mauricio Pochettino’s men are still grappling with growing pains, evident in the team’s inconsistent performances in the league. In CFC’s latest Premier league outing against Brentford, the West London outfit fell to their third consecutive loss against the Bees at Stamford Bridge.

It was expected that this upcoming stretch of games was going to be challenging. Facing the likes of Arsenal, Spurs and Man City all within the same three week span naturally allows for little optimism.  Yet you’d expect Chelsea would be more likely to get points against Brentford than Arsenal, but the opposite has been the case. Well, long may the positive results against stronger sides continue on Monday as the Blues make their way to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to face Spurs in a crucial London derby for both sides.

Here are three Blues who must start for Tottenham Hotspurs vs Chelsea.

Reece James

After another hiatus due to injury, Chelsea captain Reece James is back to full action with the Blues. The skipper featured in his first full start back against Blackburn Rovers and looks like he hasn’t lost a step. James brought the Blues the much-needed additional attacking threat they’ve been lacking from the right flank with his overlapping runs and pinpoint crossing. The 23-year old’s return couldn’t have come at a better time as CFC will need his attacking and defensive presence more than ever against this soaring Spurs team. Unless he’s faced another injury setback, there’s no reason why the captain’s name shouldn’t be one of the first on the team sheet come Monday.

Enzo Fernandez

The Blues last Premier League loss against Brentford was an unpleasant reminder of Enzo Fernandez’s importance to this team. In the World Cup winner’s absence, the Blues struggled to string any threatening build up or attacking play especially in the second half. While Enzo’s name may rarely show up in the scoresheet, his ability to seamlessly link the midfield to the attack with his positional awareness and limitless passing range often goes underappreciated.

Fernandez’s return performance against Blackburn Rovers was exemplary and displayed why he’s the most important midfielder in the squad. The Argentinian created the most big chances on the pitch with seven as well as contributing defensively with 6/6 tackles. CFC will need all their game changers up for the task against Spurs, and Enzo Fernandez is one of them.

Cole Palmer

From his very first full start in Blue to now, Cole Palmer has arguably been Chelsea’s most influential player. The 21-year-old was initially brought in to be one of the many “project” players the Blues have with an immense amount of talent, but Palmer has proved so far that he can be a crucial part of CFC’s success right now. With five goal contributions in nine appearances for Chelsea so far this season, Palmer’s output has made him undroppable in this team.

His intelligence for the game paired with his passing ability from the attacking midfield and right flank adds the much-needed fluidity that the Blues previously lacked in the final third. In addition, Palmer is also a threat from the penalty spot, bagging two goals in the league from penalties this season. Unlike the teams Chelsea have been struggling to beat with a low defensive block, Spurs will not just sit and allow the opposition to control the game. Both teams will likely have their fair share of attacking chances and for the Blues to make the most of theirs Cole Palmer will have to pull the strings in the final third once again.