· Brian Judson's Preview
· Last Year's Game - 4-0 to Chelsea
· This week - last year
· What happened in the Premiership in Match 25 2001-2
Last Six Premiership results:-
Chelsea
Chelsea 0 0 Southampton
Leeds 2 0 Chelsea
Arsenal 3 2 Chelsea
Chelsea 4 1 Charlton
Man Utd 2 1 Chelsea
Chelsea 3 2 Leeds
Spurs
Spurs 2 2 Charlton
Newcastle 2 1 Spurs
S'hampton 1 0 Spurs
Spurs 4 3 Everton
A. Villa 0 1 Spurs
Spurs 0 1 Newcastle
Pos P W D L F-A GD Pts
4 Chelsea 25 12 8 5 44-25 19 44
8 Spurs 25 11 5 9 35-35 0 38
As I write this preview, London and the surrounding area is covered with snow and ice, and the traffic is gridlocked. You might say hell has frozen over! Does that mean that if this match goes ahead (and it must be in doubt as I write) then Spurs can achieve that long-sought Premiership win against yet another London club that loves to hate us? Without much thought, I doubt it. I doubt that Robbie Keane will be fit. I doubt that Spurs will have signed the extra striker they need, and that the fans (including the Spurs Trust) have been clamouring for for so long. I doubt that Spurs can field a front line capable of beating the Blues, who have Zola, Hasselbaink and Gudjohnssen to slot the goals away with great regularity, ably supported by their midfield and those behind them.
Chelsea have lost just one game at home this season. Surprisingly that was to West Ham back in September, on the day we were losing 3-0 at home to Middlesbrough. A realist might say that we could lose by the same scoreline this time, and perhaps the best I should hope for is that we are not humiliated in the same way as we were in the corresponding match last year, which followed the 4-0 home defeat in the FA Cup, and a 4-0 loss at Old Trafford.
Still, Dean Richards did have the game of his life last night against Bellamy and Shearer, and we did defend well, until the last minute. The realist might predict a 1 goal defeat for Spurs then, whereas the optimists like me might say we'll get a draw.
Sorry to harp on, but I do think that white will be the dominant colour, but it will be the snow and ice that will prevent the game being played at all. I'll be there though, in the worst away seats in the country that cost an audacious £40 a throw. Shocking! (Editor's note:- This comment was made at a time when away fans were allocated seats in Chelsea's lower East Stand)
