Chelsea v Spurs is the first of three big games in a week for Xabi Alonso’s side, and the Chelsea manager says he wants a “very complete game” to start it well. Speaking before Saturday’s Premier League meeting at Stamford Bridge, Alonso said the team needs to show it can keep a good run going, according to the club’s official website.
Chelsea v Spurs: Alonso wants a “very complete game”
“We need to have a very complete game,” Alonso said. “Offensively, defensively, mentality-wise going through difficult moments, as there will be moments for everything. We need to prove again we can continue our run, knowing it’s a special game. We need to play with our head, heart, with intelligence but with passionate energy. We will need many things tomorrow.”
The club’s own preview points out that Chelsea have lost to the side from north London just once in their past 41 Chelsea v Spurs meetings at Stamford Bridge, though Alonso knows that record counts for nothing once the game starts. It also notes that Chelsea are going for a third straight league win for the first time since the start of this year, while Tottenham are hoping to pick up a second victory this week. We have already set out Chelsea’s team news for Spurs, and why Mike Penders is in line for a first Premier League start.
What Alonso says about Tottenham
Alonso was complimentary about Tottenham ahead of Chelsea v Spurs. “I’ve seen a good team even in bad results, so we’re expecting a tough game against good opposition who do many good things,” he said. He added that Chelsea must be ready for different phases of the game: “We need to be prepared for what to do in different moments with the ball. It’s going to be game eight, so it’s still early days for everything.”
Three games in a week: Spurs, Liverpool and Man United
The Chelsea v Spurs game is followed by a Carabao Cup fourth-round trip to Liverpool next week, and then a home game against Manchester United. Alonso sees the run as a test rather than a burden. “It was a matter of time until we had big games and this week we have three massive games against top clubs,” he said. “This happens in the Premier League; this is not news. So we take it step by step, and we start tomorrow.”
For anyone planning around the fixtures, our look at Mudryk’s return to training covers another fitness item ahead of Chelsea v Spurs. Nothing in the club preview names a team, so the line-up is still unconfirmed.
Source: Chelsea FC, Alonso targeting a ‘complete’ performance to continue good run (23 October). Picture: Stamford Bridge file photo, Ank kumar / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.
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