Sat 28 November 2020, 19:00
Tottenham HotspurWelcome back to our regular Preview Panel, and what a game to look forward to as we travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea on Sunday (4.30pm).
Introducing the panel
Micky Hazard - A skilful playmaker in midfield, Micky progressed through the youth system to make his Spurs debut aged 20 in 1980, and went on to make 148 appearances in his first spell, helping us lift the FA Cup in 1982 and UEFA Cup in 1984. He moved to Chelsea and played for Portsmouth and Swindon before returning in 1993 to play another 32 times for us before before retiring at 35 - almost 20 years after initially making a huge sacrifice to leave home in Sunderland. As popular as ever with fans and a regular matchday host with our team of legends, Micky's love for the Club continues to shine brightly. @1MickyHazard
Henry Winter - Highly-respected, award-winning Chief Football Writer at The Times, Henry has been writing about football for 35 years, covered England since 1994 and has been to eight World Cups. A regular in the press box at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium - he was there for our Europa League win against Ludogorets on Thursday - and in press boxes up and down the country, Henry is also on the voting panel for the Ballon d’Or. @henrywinter
Micky Hazard
"This is a cracker between the two in-form teams in the Premier League. We must have gained a lot of confidence from our performances against the likes of Manchester United and City, we’ve also beaten Chelsea in the League Cup, albeit on penalties. I think it will be a tight game, but I believe we’ll score, and recently we’ve defended really well, especially against City, so that augurs well. It will be tough, I think we have the ammunition to beat them, but we’ll have to defend well again. We’ll have to be at our best, and I genuinely believe, when we’re at our best, we’re bordering on unbeatable. I’m not saying we can’t lose, we can, and that’s why I say bordering. We’ll have to be on our ‘A’ game. ‘B’ games don’t beat these teams. Mentally as well, I’ve felt in the past we’ve not dealt with the mental aspect of playing the ‘top’ teams but, recently, we look mentally as strong as well. That should all stand us in good stead on Sunday."
Henry Winter
"I think it’s a really difficult game for Chelsea, because Jose Mourinho is the master of preparing a tactical masterplan. You saw that last week (against City). He will do incredible research into the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition and form a game plan. This week, we’ve seen two different game plans, one with a low block (against City) and one pressing higher up (Ludogorets), obviously against different levels of opposition. One thing that strikes me particularly about Spurs at the moment is that everyone is marching the same direction, everyone understands their roles, whether they are starting or coming off the bench. No reflection on previous eras, but there seems to be a genuine camaraderie. For instance, when Alfie Whiteman made a catch from a corner (after coming on for his debut against Ludogorets), Joe Hart was up off the bench applauding him. Joe’s a good character and person to have around.
"Against Chelsea, you want N’Golo Kante looking over his shoulder, and that’s what Harry Kane will do. Kante has been supreme in recent weeks, Mateo Kovacic as well when he comes in. It will be a test for Spurs’ full-backs, particularly if Timo Werner starts wide, and there’s that link with Tammy Abraham. They are a real threat. I just think this is a different Spurs, and the key, and I know a lot of people have said this, is Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. He has come in and, let me put it like this, it’s like you want to go into a really nice nightclub, and there’s a bouncer outside, a really well organised, no-nonsense, experienced man saying, ‘sorry, you’re not coming in’. You might try to sneak in the fire entrance, but he’s already there. Maybe you'll then go up the drainpipe and through a window, but he’s already double bolted it. I’ve always liked him, I’ve watched him play against England and for Southampton, and he’s been key for Spurs. It will be a great game, the only thing missing is the supporters..."
