Ben & Rob's preview - Chelsea

We're all set for a belter at the Bridge on Sunday (4.30pm) as we take on Chelsea in a fascinating derby so soon into the 2022/23 Premier League campaign. Counting down the hours to kick-off, N17 Live presenter Ben Haines and Club commentator Rob Daly give their thoughts on what awaits in SW6...

Ben Haines

"We all know, traditionally, this is a fixture we’ve struggled in, but Antonio Conte has spoken about the idea of the best teams having to suffer sometimes on their way to being successful. This could be an incredibly hard fought game but after Southampton last weekend, I’m so confident about the style of play and the quality of this team that we’re in a brilliant position going to Stamford Bridge. Chelsea really toiled in their first game against Everton, lining up in a very similar shape to us - with a heavy emphasis on creativity from their wing-backs. So, a huge test awaits Emerson Royal and Ryan Sessegnon if they start again. Richarlison is available  and gives us even more options - it’s incredibly exciting to see the wealth of attacking talent we have. I felt Chelsea sometimes over-committed against Everton, looked vulnerable to the counter and with the form of Dejan Kulusevski alongside Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son, they could be a real threat. This game has the feel that if we could get our noses in front it could be incredibly significant in terms of then being able to play on the counter. A positive result at this stage could be really really interesting for the wider Premier League narrative. I really believe our aim this season is to close the gap to Liverpool and Manchester City - and I think squad-wise, we’re in the best place to do that out of the rest of the league. So, yes, a win away at Chelsea would be a real statement!"

Rob Daly

"Everyone knows the team's record at the Bridge, and I feel Chelsea have had Spurs’ number in the last few years, including four wins last season - but this is a different Tottenham Hotspur. It’s interesting to hear Antonio Conte speaking about ‘the work we’ve done in the last seven months’, I believe that points to the fact that on the back of the transfer window, this is his team and with Rodrigo Bentancur controlling midfield, plus the attacking prowess of Dejan Kulusevski, this now feels like a different fixture. For me, it would be a statement result, massive. Chelsea are without Mateo Kovacic, a big loss for them, and it will be interesting to see if Marc Cucurella comes in for a first start, or maybe Conor Gallagher, back from Palace, Armando Broja, who scored against Spurs for Southampton last season. I think we'll certainly see Raheem Sterling in a central position in their attack. It’s not impossible that Chelsea could start with a backline of players in their 30s, Thiago Silva, Kalidou Koulibaly, Cesar Azpilicueta, so it would be interesting to see how they’d deal with the movement of Kane, Son and Kulusevski. As Ben mentioned, it wasn’t a premier performance against Everton, but it was a winning one. I feel like a draw would be a positive result, but I don’t think Antonio will go for that. It will be fascinating to see where the teams are right now, because both are trying to close in on Liverpool and Manchester City. There have been so many positives, then the start last week against Southampton, that you just can’t help but be excited for Sunday."