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This preview was written by Brian Judson

Full Record of Tottenham Hotspur -v- Chelsea

Prem           Pl   W   D   L   For-Ag  Pts
Home            8   0   4   4     7-15   4
Away            9   0   3   6     6-17   3
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Total (Prem)   17   0   7  10    13-32   7
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Football Lge
Home (Div 1)   42  20   9  13    79-57  51
Away (Div 1)   42  19   6  17    63-50  46
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Total (Div 1)  84  39  15  30   142-107 97
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Football Lge
Home (Div 2)    2   1   1   0     7-4    3
Away (Div 2)    2   0   1   1     1-4    1
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Total (Div 2)   4   1   2   1     8-8    4
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Total (Prem)   17   0   7  10    13-32   7
Total (Div 1)  84  39  15  30   142-107 97
Total (Div 2)   4   1   2   1     8-8    4
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Grand Total   105  40  24  41   163-147 108
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Let us begin this preview by dealing with the most dismal aspect of it first. The following is the dreadful sequence of results over the years since 1986-87 :

SEASON  HOME AWAY
1986-87 1-3  2-0
1987-88 1-0  0-0
1989-90 1-4  2-1
1990-91 1-1  2-3
1991-92 1-3  0-2
1992-93 1-2  1-1
1993-94 1-1  3-4
1994-95 0-0  1-1
1995-96 1-1  0-0
1996-97 1-2  1-3
1997-98 1-6  0-2
1998-99 2-2  0-2
1999-00 0-1  0-1
2000-01      0-3

When we last beat Chelsea at Tottenham, Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister; Ronald Reagan was President of the USA; soon to be succeeded by George Bush Senior; the Berlin Wall still had to come down and the Soviet Union was still a world power. We still had to go through the Gulf War and the disintegration of the Soviet Union. And Tottenham Hotspur was a name that was not a laughing stock in the football world.

When Nico Claesen scored the only goal of the match in August 1987, the Spurs manager was David Pleat. One wonders what anyone would have said had someone predicted that come April 2001, we would still be waiting to see a Spurs side win against Chelsea at White Hart Lane. Doubtlessly, the unfortunate wretch would have been placed in a straitjacket and taken away by the gentlemen in white coats.

Nico Claesen? How many of us can remember Claesen scoring that goal against Chelsea? I must admit I cannot remember it. But I do remember the various humiliations we have experienced, particularly the 6-1 home defeat when every Chelsea attack seemed to end in a goal.

It is hard to remember that once upon a time Spurs used to beat Chelsea home and away with consummate ease. Probably the apotheosis of Spurs -v- Chelsea matches was the FA Cup Quarter Final tie at Stamford Bridge in March 1982 when Archibald, Hazard and Hoddle scored three sublime goals in the space of a few minutes.

Further back in time was Spurs' majestic victory over Chelsea in the 1967 FA Cup Final. Chelsea froze on the day and did not match their usual standards. Goals by Jimmy Robertson and Frank Saul ensured Tottenham would win despite a very late Bobby Tambling goal. It should have been victory by a greater margin than 2-1.

Tottenham's victories in the home game against Bradford City and the away game at Sunderland have enabled them to climb back into the top half of the table again. A much-needed victory against Chelsea will enable Spurs to climb slightly higher in the table but it won't be easy.

Chelsea's form on the road has, by and large, been awful this season. They have only won twice away from home, winning 4-0 at Derby County and 2-0 at West Ham. However, they have snatched six draws from their travels. None of their defeats have been particularly heavy but they have shown a marked lack of confidence in travelling. The rumours persist that Claudio Ranieri will not survive the end of season post-mortem. Who will succeed him remains to be seen.

Let us hope that Tottenham snatch a win tomorrow night, thus enabling me to scrap the litany of Chelsea defeats that precedes every one of my previews of these matches. If Tottenham can play with the fire in their bellies that they had during the second half of Saturday afternoon's match at Sunderland, we shall win. But, as I said in my last preview, I still can't see Spurs qualifying for Europe. To do so needs championship form and Spurs have rarely demonstrated that sort of ability.

I think we will have to be patient tomorrow night. I think the game will turn very much on who scores first. If we can score first, then I am optimistic that we will go on to win. But our confidence is still as fragile as egg shells ........ If Chelsea score first, I cannot visualise them allowing us to come back as we did against a complacent Sunderland side.

COME ON YOU SPURS!

Cheers, Brian

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