Second-place Chelsea will try to extend a three-match Premier League win streak and six-match league unbeaten run on Sunday when they visit a 10th-place Tottenham side that is still struggling to string positive results together.
Despite sitting only seven points back of league leader Liverpool and above Arsenal on goal-difference, first-year manager Enzo Maresca continues to insist his Chelsea side is not yet to the point it can seriously consider contending for the league title.
But it’s going to become harder to temper expectations if the nature of recent performances continues.
The Blues (8-2-4, 28 points) hammered Aston Villa 3-0 and Southampton 5-1 in their two league fixtures over the past week.
Cole Palmer scored in both matches to bring his season totals to nine goals and six assists in just his second campaign as a regular Premier League starter.
Nicolas Jackson also has eight goals after becoming a far more efficient finisher.
“Yeah, but we need to do so many other things good, not only scoring goals,” Maresca cautioned this week. “We need to avoid conceding goals. Overall, I think defensively we are doing quite well but as I said, we are just focused on Sunday’s game. We are not thinking about May or June, these kind of things, because it is too early.”
Meanwhile, the Spurs have proven themselves capable of defeating or losing to any opponent this season but not doing either one consistently.
Case in point: Second-year manager Ange Postecoglou’s group hasn’t won a match since a stunning 4-0 league victory at Manchester City on Nov. 23.
Most recently, the Spurs (6-6-2, 20 points) fell 1-0 at Bournemouth on Thursday and were fortunate not to concede more goals against the Cherries.
“For me, the disappointing last night was the repeat of the cycle of us going into games, starting well enough but allowing the opposition to get a sloppy goal like we did last night or not taking our opportunities,” Postecoglou said Friday. “We need to break that cycle, irrespective of where we’re at at the moment.”
Brennan Johnson is the only Spurs player to score from open play in the past three games, contributing a goal in both a 2-2 draw against Roma on Nov. 28 in UEFA Europa League competition and a 1-1 tie against Fulham last Sunday.
Postecoglou continues to deal with several absences, most notably the continuing suspension of midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur and injury to attacker Richarlison.
–Field Level Media
