Here is Brian Judson's preview of the game

Full Record of Tottenham Hotspur -v- Chelsea

Premier      Pl   W    D    L    For-Ag  Pts
Home         11   0    5    6     9- 21   5
Away         10   0    3    7     6- 21   3
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Total (Prem) 21   0    8   13    15- 42   8
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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) 21   0    8   13    15- 42   8
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 Tot   107  40   25   44   165-157 109
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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
86-87     1-3     2-0
87-88     1-0     0-0
89-90     1-4     2-1
90-91     1-1     2-3
91-92     1-3     0-2
92-93     1-2     1-1
93-94     1-1     3-4
94-95     0-0     1-1
95-96     1-1     0-0
96-97     1-2     1-3
97-98     1-6     0-2
98-99     2-2     0-2
99-2000   0-1     0-1
00-01     0-3     0-3
01-02     2-3     0-4
02-03     0-0

This is becoming a dreadful litany! The last Spurs player to score in a League match at Stamford Bridge was Chris Armstrong, in the autumn of 1996. That is more than a year before Gerry Francis left White Hart Lane. Managers and players have come and gone but we still remain unable to score at the Bridge.

It is becoming very difficult to writing anything optimistic about this particular fixture! Our only victory against Chelsea in recent times was our 5-1 Second Leg victory in the Football League Cup Semi-Final last season. That seems to have been a fluke when one considers that Chelsea have gone on to better things this season whilst we continue to remain marooned in mid-table. Whilst it is well-known that Chelsea's financial status is built like a tottering house of cards, there is no doubt that they have been quietly building a very good squad. Frank Lampard, in particular, seems to have improved his form to such an extent that he is now being touted as a future lynch-pin in England's midfield.

Personally, I don't think Chelsea are currently equipped to challenge for the title itself, though they may well qualify for the Champions League if Newcastle United, Manchester United or Liverpool continue to be erratic. The odds, though, are that they will probably qualify for the UEFA Cup next season. But the current squad has the promise of being their best side since the one that Tommy Docherty built in the 1960s and promptly broke up when he fell out with Terry Venables in 1966. Dave Sexton's side of the early 1970s may have been more successful but, to my mind, the Docherty side could have been the greatest Chelsea side of all time had Docherty not allowed his temper to break up that side. It was a sheer joy to watch that Chelsea aide ....

As always, when I think of past Chelsea v Spurs clashes, my mind always goes back to November 1970 when Spurs beat Chelsea 2-0 at the Bridge. It is disappointing this match was never televised at the time because it had everything. Played in torrential rain throughout the 90 minutes, both teams gave their all. Spurs snatched the goals deep in injury time. It was well worth getting soaked to the skin, queueing for trains from Fulham Broadway after the game.

It's hard to recall now just how badly both teams fell away in the space of a few years to suffer relegation. Chelsea had a much harder time of it and almost suffered the indignity of being relegated to the old Third Division at one point, whereas Spurs were quickly back where they belonged.

It will be interesting to see what Spurs team turns up at Stamford Bridge! All too often this season, we have never been quite sure how Spurs will perform. With the departure of Les Ferdinand and Sergei Rebrov, it is going to place an awful lot of responsibility on Robbie Keane, now that Sheringham is deep in the autumn of his career. There are simply not enough goals coming from the rest of the team.

I hope I am wrong but it does look as if Spurs will be in for yet another defeat at the Bridge. I cannot see us even nicking a draw given their awful record over the last few years.

COME ON YOU SPURS!

Cheers, Brian

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