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Welcome to The Briefing, where every Monday during this season, The Athletic will discuss three of the biggest questions to arise from the weekend’s football.

This was the weekend when Liverpool finally won a league match, Arsenal continued in supreme form at the top, Wolves sacked Vitor Pereira and Chelsea earned their annual victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

We’re asking what’s going on Spurs, why patience is a virtue when it comes to transfer fees and why the Premier League table makes little sense.

Should Frank bow to The Spurs Way?

The suffix ‘Football Club’ on the end of Manchester United has felt so appropriate in recent seasons, given that merely declaring the accepted shortened version of the club’s name hasn’t carried enough heft to portray the shambolic results and performances the team has produced.

It feels like we’re now going that way with Tottenham Hotspur. It can’t just be Tottenham, as they told us last season, and what’s happened there in the past few years feels like it goes way beyond the ‘Spursy’ tag. So, seriously, what on earth is going on at Tottenham Hotspur Football Club?

Even for them, the paradox of finishing 17th in the Premier League a few months ago while also enjoying their most memorable moment in decades after winning the Europa League, street parade and all, to now being fifth in the table while booing the team off, is just too, well, we said not Spursy, so let’s just call it absolutely nuts.

You don’t need xG to know which way the wind blows but the numbers do paint a grey, bleak picture of nothingness.

They mustered a pathetic total of three shots against Chelsea (one on target) yielding an xG of 0.05, their lowest since records began in 2012 (504 games since then).

It wasn’t a one-off, given their xG against Bournemouth a couple of months ago was 0.19, or 0.8 in their previous home match against Aston Villa.

The boos were booming and vicious. And, through the prism of that Chelsea performance and recent home form, fully merited. Yet on the road Spurs are the best team in the land, earning 13 points from 15, scoring 12 goals and conceding only three.

So how can the team currently on track to qualify for the Champions League again (if fifth place is good enough, like last season) be earning so much disapproval from their own supporters?

Well, Spurs are a special case. The Spurs Way™ is a thing; they don’t just want to win, they want to do so with style, panache and, above all, entertainment. You know, the kind Ange Postecoglou attempted to instil last season. The kind he completely abandoned when they came within sight of the winning post in the Europa League. And duly won it.

Thomas Frank has brought in the pragmatism Postecoglou pigheadedly failed to lean on during the majority of his Spurs tenure, but the Dane is probably using a bit too much of it.

The much-discussed double defensive midfield pivot of Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur lends itself well to away matches; they can protect the defence while faster, more attacking players like Mohammed Kudus launch brisk counter attacks. Set pieces, trying to control matches without the ball, it’s nice enough away from home.

At home, though, with that same double pivot, and with only two attacking players in the XI against Chelsea (Kudus and the unfit Randal Kolo Muani), Frank didn’t just have the handbrake on, he had an anti-theft lock on the steering wheel and four heavy-duty wheel clamps on the tyres.

And yet, you wouldn’t exactly call Frank a defensive manager at Brentford. In fact, a year ago they were the league’s great entertainers, especially at home with scorelines like 5-3, 4-3, 4-2 and 3-2 between October and December.

Only Liverpool and Manchester City scored more than Brentford’s 40 home goals last season, and only Ipswich Town and Southampton conceded more than their 35 at the Gtech Community Stadium.

What’s the difference? Frank’s Brentford squad was perfected and honed over years of excellent recruitment. At Spurs, not only are his new signings like Kolo Muani and Xavi Simons still in the infancy of their Premier League careers (with Simons struggling to adapt), but injuries have deprived Frank of Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison and Dominic Solanke, while Wilson Odobert and Mathys Tel are young and inconsistent.

Perhaps, even allowing for the alarming Steve McClaren-esque moment of being ignored by his players on the pitch at full time, we should wait for Frank to have more options at his disposal given that, rather than an overhaul of the playing style, is what Spurs need right now. Sorry, Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. Never a dull moment.

Do Caicedo and Rice show that judging transfer fees takes years?

Remember in 2023 when Moises Caicedo and Declan Rice both moved to new Premier League clubs for a combined total of more than £2oomillion and eyebrows were collectively raised above forehead height across the land?

Two-and-a-bit years on, those exorbitant fees are starting to look like reasonable value, at least in the nonsensical world of modern football finance.

As this list shows, spending huge money on a ridiculously talented footballer is absolutely no guarantee of success.

Every player on there (except Antony) did something decent, even Romelu Lukaku and Paul Pogba, but how many could say they, at any point, increased their monetary value?

Right now, if Caicedo or Rice were to be bought by, say, Real Madrid or a Saudi Arabian club, Chelsea and Arsenal could legitimately ask for more than the £100million plus (including add-ons) they each paid.

Caicedo, at 24, has blossomed into the best defensive midfielder not just in the Premier League, but perhaps in the world. Enzo Maresca said after the Ecuadorian’s latest man-of-the-match performance at Spurs that only Rodri could hold a candle to him, while goalkeeper Robert Sanchez went further and called Caicedo the “best player on the planet” in his position.

Rice was also man of the match on Saturday as Arsenal won again at Burnley, with more tackles and interceptions than anyone on the pitch, plus another goal. He’s been sublime for Arsenal for some time now.

They are different types of midfielders who you can imagine forming just about the most formidable midfield pairing in the world right now. They’re also, after winning player of the season at their clubs last season, in the very early running for the Premier League’s player of the season award this year. Probably only Erling Haaland and Antoine Semenyo can also lay claim to that billing, from the opening quarter of the campaign.

What their form over a long period shows is that transfer value is related to many years of performances. The sums paid for Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak may look a little daft right now, with their one goal and four assists from a combined 22 appearances, but Caicedo, Rice and indeed Enzo Fernandez show that repaying those fees may take time and a little patience.

How true is the Premier League table?

There is an old adage that the league table isn’t worth looking at until teams have played 10 matches.

Well, the Premier League table is definitely worth looking at, if only to marvel at its ludicrousness. However, with nine points separating second and 17th, you can’t exactly call it settled yet.

What with little old Bournemouth in fourth, the aforementioned Spurs in fifth but not happy about how they got there and Forest in 18th but pretty happy and optimistic about their future under Sean Dyche, it’s all a bit lopsided.

Then you’ve got the three promoted teams going against the grain to earn 38 points between them so far (and Sunderland can go second tonight), while old powerhouses Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Everton are all in the bottom half.

To top off the league of unpredictability, Manchester United are in the top half and unbeaten in four.

It’s just a little shame that the top three and the bottom one are letting the side down by being exactly where we all thought they’d be. And Wolverhampton Wanderers’ solution to going winless in their opening 10 matches for the second successive season might be to hire the guy who achieved that for them last year.

Never change, Premier League.

Coming up

If you’d been told in August that when Sunderland met Everton in early November, one of them would go second in the table with a win, you would probably have had a little smirk and replied; “Yeah, second from bottom”. But hey, that’s the way of the world nowadays. Deal with it. The Black Cats v The Toffees kicks off at 8pm tonight.

The Champions League returns on Tuesday night with a couple of ties that are absolutely huge on paper but probably fairly inconsequential in real life in the world of the Swiss model; Liverpool versus Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain against Bayern Munich. Also on Tuesday, Spurs host a club you think Thomas Frank would probably have managed but actually hasn’t, in Copenhagen, while Arsenal will expect a comfortable victory away at Slavia Prague.

Newcastle United against Athletic Club is possibly the standout game on Wednesday night, although Manchester City hosting Borussia Dortmund has the potential for some fun. Chelsea are in Azerbaijan to play Qarabag.

If you didn’t quite get enough political posturing when it was announced there would be no Maccabi Tel Aviv fans at Villa Park, you’ll get a bit more this week when the game takes place on Thursday in the Europa League. Also that night; Sturm Graz host Dyche’s Forest, Rangers play Roma in a tasty tie in Scotland, while in the Conference League it’s Crystal Palace versus AZ.

Recommended reading

If players clap in a stadium full of boos, does it make a sound?

Do frustrated away fans — total spend: £30 on match ticket, £120 on trains, £30 on food and drink — ever walk away from a desultory performance with their heart lifted and eyes brimming with pride, burnished by the sincerity of their centre-backs applause?

Is regretful sorrow conveyed best by a rhythmic and solemn slowness, or a grim and strained intensity?

Does the players’ distance from the fans themselves — at West Ham’s Olympic Stadium, some 50 yards, at many lower league grounds, just five — have any correlation with the sincerity of their apologies?

Is a hands-up, heads-down mea culpa also allowed?

These are the questions that Tottenham Hotspur’s Djed Spence and Micky van de Ven will be asking themselves over the coming days, muscles sore, shins bloodied, but with hands unsmarting.

Among the unwritten rules and sacred cows that wander football’s pastures, defeated players clapping their own fans is held as beyond reproach.

The principle behind it is simple — fans have spent significant money, time, and energy in supporting their side. That, in itself, deserves gratitude, especially when fed into an algorithm that includes distance travelled, time of day, and severity of losing run.

On that scale, Van de Ven’s and Spence’s failure to clap the Tottenham supporters after their 1-0 home loss to Chelsea falls somewhere in the middle.

Some context: Spurs had played dreadfully, and despite still sitting fifth in the league, a run of successive dreary performances culminated in some of the loudest boos ever heard at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Cutting-edge acoustics work for negativity as well.

Walking onto the pitch at full time, new manager Thomas Frank — a man who admittedly loves a collective clap — pointed at his two retreating defenders with a single finger, before, somewhat theatrically, whirling it around to redirect them towards the Tottenham supporters.

The pair did not meet Frank’s eye, but appeared to greet him with words, striding off with gesticulations and slumped shoulders. They were also, visually, logically, self-evidentially furious.

There are a few ways to greet this reaction. One, the most immediate, is fan-focused — that at a stadium with some of the highest ticket prices in the country, the supporters’ contribution should be recognised.

Another surrounds the team dynamics. Just four months into Frank’s Tottenham tenure, is it concerning that his instruction was so obviously ignored?

And then there is the player perspective and the honesty that fans wish to receive. When a player claps the fans, an element of it, apologies aside, is a tacit implication that they care about the wider club.

So, taken in another way, by storming off after a frustrating defeat, are the players not demonstrating a genuine response that mirrors the feeling of many of those supporters? Or should the priority, instead, be to suppress those feelings and instead step forward, toe the line, and carry out a purely performative action?

This will not, by any means, be a universally held view, but it mirrors the nuances that a seemingly simple action carries within it.

The matter was deemed serious enough to ask Frank about in his post-match press conference — answer: “It’s just a small thing” — but this was by no means a media-manufactured storm. On Spurs fan accounts on social media, a fan-filmed video of the interaction received many thousands of retweets.

There is also, of course, another flipside. Vitor Pereira went down clapping, in a way, and what good did it do him or his team? Last Sunday, having lost 3-2 to Burnley, he approached the fans to applaud them, before quickly becoming embroiled in a confrontation with the home supporters, appearing to be held back by staff members.

“Two months ago, they sang my name!” he exclaimed afterwards.

But this is football’s double standard. The sport is allowed to be fickle. So are fans. Are the players and coaches? Absolutely not.

There is a fine line between taking supporters for granted and treating adults like adults — we’re talking about the scant matter of a 20-second clap, for goodness sake — but the entire discourse smacks of a creeping sense of the-customer-is-always-rightness, which, in many ways, is entirely unsurprising given football’s increasing commercial-led concerns.

But the laughable truth behind that phrase is its utter untruth, the knowledge, from everyone in on the gag, that customers are often fundamentally wrong. They may have wanted the pea and mint soup, but unfortunately, the word that left their mouth was tomato.

The majority of people would agree that there are clear red lines in this whole clapping charade.

In one hypothetical scenario, if a player received personal abuse about their family from hundreds of fans, for example, should they applaud? Most rational beings would say no.

So it follows that there are more nuanced scenarios. If a player feels that a crowd’s boos, midway through a game, has harmed their side’s chances of winning, should they still be bound to applaud that behaviour? Quite possibly not.

And ultimately, the right of personal refusal does matter. It is without doubt that a healthy dollop of empathy goes a long way. In an ideal world — given the difficulty of being a football supporter in a game beset by callous kick-off times and sky-rocketing prices — the knowledge that your side’s stars understand your frustration are clear stitches in the fabric of a club.

But what if the action is clearly performative? Does apathetic, glazed-over clapping move the needle in any sort of meaningful way? Apologies require sincerity, and so do thank-yous; more generally, they are contained in the intention rather than the action.

There is a future in which micro-behaviours are written into contracts, where applause becomes not just an expectation, but a demand. Does that lead to a healthier ecosystem around the sport? Does it really help that social fabric? No.

And if you disagree? By the same logic, an answer is at hand.

From the metaphorical centre-circle, I’ll respond dutifully to angry comments — to each and every one — with several emojis of some clapping hands. It’s from the heart. Divisions healed. Problem solved. Job done.

In the Premier League, if you are having difficulties in a certain phase of play, the top teams will always punish you.

This season, under Thomas Frank, Tottenham Hotspur have been experiencing some issues when progressing the ball up the pitch, leaving them overly dependent on long passes from Pedro Porro and Cristian Romero.

Despite a glimpse of positivity in some of Spurs’ recent away trips, Chelsea’s high press smothered them and exploited their ball-progression problems.

“The high pressure they came with, I don’t think we solved it well enough, even though we worked on it,” said Frank after Chelsea’s 1-0 victory against his side.

Chelsea’s press started from a lopsided 4-3-3, with Pedro Neto focusing on Micky van de Ven and Alejandro Garnacho keeping an eye on Porro. In midfield, Reece James and Enzo Fernandez marked Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha, but the orchestrator of the press was Joao Pedro.

The Brazil centre-forward started centrally and harried Kevin Danso when Guglielmo Vicario played the ball to his right centre-back. Joao Pedro pressed Danso from an angle that prevented the latter from going back to his goalkeeper, locking Tottenham down their right side.

There, Moises Caicedo and Marc Cucurella were marking Pape Matar Sarr and Mohammed Kudus, while Garnacho, James and Fernandez’s pressing roles limited Danso’s passing options.

One of Tottenham’s solutions was Xavi Simons’ narrow position in midfield, but Malo Gusto tracked his movement when the ball was on the far side.

In the above example, Caicedo intercepts Danso’s pass to Sarr, but Palhinha wins the loose ball and squares it to Simons.

The Netherlands midfielder fails to control the ball and James wins it back. However, it’s important to notice Gusto’s pressing role which puts him in a position that prevents Simons from overloading the centre of the pitch.

In another example, Joao Pedro presses Danso from an angle that prevents him from going back to Vicario, while Garnacho, Fernandez and James are marking Porro, Palhinha and Bentancur.

Sarr drops to provide a passing option, but Caicedo can comfortably press him because Chelsea are covering the other choices. When Sarr plays the ball to Porro, the options are still limited because Joao Pedro is blocking the pass back to Danso, Cucurella is tight on Kudus, and Gusto is tracking Simons’ movement to defend the switch of play.

Porro tries to play the ball forward, but Garnacho’s block puts Joao Pedro in a one-v-one situation.

Chelsea’s out-of-possession approach varied when Tottenham were in a position to build down their left side.

With Neto pressing Van de Ven, Wesley Fofana had to push up and mark Simons to free Gusto. This way, Chelsea’s right-back can press Djed Spence without worrying about Simons’ narrow position.

Here, Gusto realises that Tottenham can circulate the ball towards their left side, with Simons in position to attack the space behind Fernandez and James, who are pressing higher up the pitch.

Gusto signals to Fofana to pick up Simons, before he dashes towards Spence as Tottenham circulate the ball towards the left side. By the time the ball reaches Van de Ven, Fofana is in position to track Simons and prevent him from overloading the midfield.

Meanwhile, Gusto is free to press Spence, who doesn’t have a clear passing option.

Palhinha tries to attack the space down the left wing, but Chelsea’s man-to-man locking means that James can track him and intercept the pass.

The most impressive thing about Chelsea’s press against Tottenham was that they covered the majority of Tottenham’s solutions.

Caicedo’s profile and pressing awareness meant that he can play a hybrid role depending on how Spurs were going to build up: jumping up to man-mark Sarr if Tottenham wanted to combine and defending the left side zonally if they went direct.

In this example, Chelsea’s press is operating as normal, but Caicedo drops to defend the second ball when Danso goes long towards Kudus. Unfortunately, it falls to Palhinha and Sarr is in position to attack the space, but Trevoh Chalobah is covering the depth and stops the attack.

Chelsea could afford this pressing approach when Tottenham went direct because their left-side press constantly left Spence unmarked, providing them with a free centre-back.

The reason Chelsea’s press differed from one side to another — man-marking on the right, and hybrid down the left — is because Tottenham are more likely to go direct through Danso, Romero or Porro.

Here, Enzo Maresca’s side are pressing down the left with Caicedo maintaining a distance from Simons. The Ecuador midfielder’s acceleration means that he can cover Simons if Porro goes short, while being in position to support the defence if Tottenham’s right-back went direct.

Porro tries to play a long pass towards Kudus and Richarlison, who are marked by Cucurella and Chalobah, but Caicedo intercepts it, with Fofana acting as the safety net in the back.

“The performance was very good on the ball and off the ball,” said Maresca after the match. “For sure, the way we tried to press was very important, but I also think our game against Liverpool off the ball was a top game.

“If you want to be close to the top, you need to be defensively solid.”

Maresca’s side prevented Tottenham from progressing the ball throughout the match, and restricted them to three shots worth 0.05 expected goals (xG) — Spurs’ lowest xG in a Premier League game since 2012-13.

The high press from Chelsea was a perfect illustration how, at the top level of the Premier League, weaknesses are exploited.

Tottenham Hotspur were twice beaten in comical circumstances on Chelsea’s previous visits to north London.

In November 2023, Destiny Udogie and Cristian Romero were sent off in a chaotic 4-1 defeat. Last year, Spurs were leading 2-0 after 11 minutes but first-choice centre-backs Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero suffered muscle injuries. Cole Palmer then inspired Chelsea to a 4-3 victory.

Both of those results were under Ange Postecoglou but the theory was that Thomas Frank would make Spurs much harder to beat. He might break the curse against Chelsea at the first attempt.

They only lost 1-0 on Saturday evening but it was the worst performance of Frank’s reign. If Spurs were guilty of being too cavalier during Postecoglou’s time in charge, then this was the total opposite. They made more substitutions (six) and racked up more yellow cards (four) than shots (three).

Spurs generated an xG, which measures the quality of their chances, of 0.05 compared to Chelsea who registered 3.03. It is the lowest amount they have produced in a Premier League game on record (since 2012-13). Guglielmo Vicario’s incredible saves from Joao Pedro, and a woeful miss from Jamie Gittens, were the only reasons why they did not lose by a bigger margin.

“That hurts massively,” Frank said. “I have never been in charge of a team that has created that little in one game. I will look into what we can do to make it better. That is one thing but I think everything is linked.”

Lots of supporters will argue that they went down fighting under Postecoglou even if they suffered some humiliating results. This meek performance prompted a furious reaction from the fanbase. In second-half stoppage time, they started booing when Vicario played a free-kick short to Djed Spence instead of lumping the ball into the box. Spence turned around and passed it straight back. Those boos continued at full-time.

Frank admitted that his side failed to match Chelsea’s energy and intensity. That is unacceptable in a derby against one of your biggest rivals. It felt like they pinned all of their hopes on scoring from a set piece but Robert Sanchez effortlessly claimed every corner. Pedro Porro kept trying to chip the ball over Marc Cucurella for Mohammed Kudus unsuccessfully. Xavi Simons, who replaced Lucas Bergvall in the fifth minute as a concussion substitute, was constantly shoved off the ball and made an awful back pass in the build-up to Chelsea’s winner.

Spurs have lost three games at home under Frank and only won once. This was the fourth home game in a row where they failed to register an xG above 1.0. Their home form has been dreadful for 12 months but he has found no solution to the problem. It is crucial that Spurs start winning in front of their supporters so Frank can build a positive connection with them.

To compound the feeling of anger and irritation, Micky van de Ven and Spence walked straight down the tunnel at full-time despite Frank and set-piece coach Andreas Georgson trying to stop them. It was only a week ago that Frank praised Van de Ven’s leadership after the centre-back scored twice in a 3-0 victory over Everton. Frank tried to downplay their actions by saying that it is “one of the small issues that we have” and “everyone is frustrated” but it was a concerning public display of dissent.

The strangest part of this situation is that Spurs are above Chelsea in the table on goal difference. Depending on how the rest of this weekend’s games go, Spurs might still be in the top four on Monday. They finished 17th last season and lost 22 games. Surely finishing in the top six would represent a successful season? Especially when you consider the new signings Frank is trying to bed in, injuries to key players and all of the change at executive level.

The problem is that it is becoming difficult to ignore the parallels between Frank and Nuno Espirito Santo. Nuno was appointed as Tottenham’s head coach in June 2021 after a protracted search which saw them rejected by multiple candidates. He earned his move to north London after guiding Wolverhampton Wanderers to promotion and stabilising them in the top-flight. Frank followed the exact same path with Brentford but, crucially, was the club’s first-choice following Postecoglou’s dismissal two weeks after winning the Europa League final.

Nuno won his first three games in charge and was named the manager of the month for August. Spurs lost five of their next seven fixtures and Nuno was sacked on November 1 — exactly four years ago. Nuno’s style of play during his brief tenure was pragmatic. That is not necessarily a bad thing but Tottenham supporters demand entertainment. They were pleased Frank tightened up the defence but want to be inspired and see the next stage of his evolution. He needs to find an attacking spark from somewhere to avoid being permanently viewed in the same way as Nuno.

Maybe the frustration that poured out from the players was positive. Bergvall was desperate to stay on the pitch after suffering a concussion and argued with the medical staff (who deserve praise for prioritising his health). Frank booted a water bottle when Joao Pedro scored. Kudus, Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur threw their weight around in a few firm challenges. Spurs were emotional and erratic but nobody could accuse them of not caring.

This was always going to be a tricky period of the season. After a relatively kind fixture list, including Wolves, West Ham United and two of the promoted teams, Spurs play four of last season’s top six between mid-October and the start of December. Throw in Champions League away ties at Monaco and the holders Paris Saint-Germain too.

It has been a punishing couple of weeks with two defeats in the top flight and a premature exit from the Carabao Cup. The optimism about Frank’s project is quickly draining away, perhaps slightly unfairly, but this was a shocking performance and a brutal reality check.

Chelsea moved level on points with Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Saturday evening, defeating their rivals 1-0 in north London.

Enzo Maresca’s side dominated the first half, his players’ pressing repeatedly causing problems for Spurs. Joao Pedro almost profited from a high turnover after 31 minutes, only to see his shot saved by Guglielmo Vicario. Three minutes later, the Brazilian put his side into the lead after some ferocious and effective tackling from the impressive Moises Caicedo once again robbed the hosts in a dangerous location.

A fixture that rarely sees a lack of incident also saw a flashpoint in first-half stoppage time, with a foul on Reece James earning Rodrigo Bentancur a booking, plus another for Trevoh Chalobah for his reaction.

Spurs continued to toil after the break, but picked up more yellow cards than they had shots, and it was Chelsea who came closest to adding another goal, with both Jamie Gittens and Joao Pedro missing big chances in injury time — both chances coming after a free kick from the home side had been wasted. Thomas Frank’s evening concluded with loud boos from the home supporters.

Elias Burke, Simon Johnson and Mark Carey analyse the key moments from an intense encounter.

What does this result mean for Spurs?

Tottenham appeared to make strides in boosting their threat from open play over the last two games, with last week’s 3-0 win over Everton in the Premier League one of their most complete performances of the season.

And while they did not get on the scoresheet against Newcastle United in midweek, they appeared more fluid and dangerous with a rotated side than they have done for most of Frank’s tenure. Unfortunately, they lacked any of that inspiration this evening.

Randal Kolo Muani has impressed in recent weeks but failed to make anything from the poor service he received. Xavi Simons was substituted on the 73rd minute after replacing the concussed Lucas Bergvall. Kudus, who has been Tottenham’s most consistent attacking outlet this term, was largely anonymous. In one of their biggest matches of the season — a fixture that tends to lead to fireworks — Spurs barely turned up.

Even their set pieces were easily dealt with by Chelsea, a side that has looked fragile from dead-ball situations this season. With 10 minutes left, Spurs fans filtered out of the stadium with no sign of improvement.

Tottenham have won just four home league matches in a year. To realise their ambitions of fighting for a Champions League place, their form must improve. For that to happen, early evidence under Frank suggests that something must change — either tactically or personnel-wise — in their approach.

Elias Burke

How big a result is this for Chelsea?

Chelsea have made a habit of beating Tottenham away from home and it was important they carried on the trend this evening. When the game kicked off, Chelsea were sitting 11th in the table and in danger of coming under some negative scrutiny over how the campaign has begun.

There is something about Spurs that consistently gets the best out of them — well, certainly for the best part of the past four decades.

Chelsea fans used to affectionately call Tottenham’s former ground ‘three-point lane’ due to the regularity with which they won there.

The club have made the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium their second home, too. This is their sixth victory here in seven attempts, which is the best record of any team in the Premier League.

More importantly, it has lifted them level with their fierce London rivals and into the top four — and given a major injection of belief into the dressing room.

The manner in which they dominated Frank’s side for long periods surely made pleasant viewing for Maresca. The only negative was that they scored just once and had a nervous finish before securing the three points.

Simon Johnson

In praise of Caicedo’s tenacity

There is quite a debate going on right now about who the best midfielder in the Premier League is, and Caicedo is very much at the centre of it.

His role in Chelsea’s goal 11 minutes before half-time is why his candidacy has to be taken seriously. The Ecuador international showed the hunger and tenacity you need to win a derby against a fierce rival.

It is not as if Tottenham were not warned. Danso was the first to get caught in possession just outside the area, but the home side got away with it.

Perhaps that lulled them into a false sense of security because Caicedo was at it again just seconds later. Simons was guilty of a slow pass back to Micky van de Ven, but the Spurs captain seemed to be blissfully unaware of the threat as Caicedo closed in rapidly.

The 23-year-old took the ball off him like a child trick-or-treating last night.

Caicedo was not satisfied with that, bursting into the area to half tackle/half square the ball for Joao Pedro to convert. No wonder the latter made an issue of giving Caicedo some credit as he celebrated.

Simon Johnson

Why did Bergvall have to come off so early?

As Bergvall established himself in the Tottenham side last season, it became evident that he’s not just an elite talent but a warrior.

So, when Enzo Fernandez unintentionally kicked the ball off the back of his head inside the first few minutes, knocking him to the ground, his reaction naturally caused concern among the Tottenham medical staff.

After the ball hit his head, Bergvall was knocked off balance, stumbling in a circle until he eventually appeared to fall to the floor. Even after Bergvall had got back to his feet, he continued holding his head, appearing dazed.

Having noticed his condition, referee Jarred Gillett waved on Tottenham’s medical staff, who quickly ran onto the pitch and performed a medical examination on the 20-year-old. Having clearly sustained a head injury, the medical staff signalled Bergvall should be replaced, but the Sweden international was reluctant to leave the pitch.

While his replacement, Simons, was preparing himself on the sidelines, Bergvall continued protesting — appearing to wrestle with one member of the medical staff. Frank intervened with Bergvall in the technical area, sending his player down the tunnel. Given Bergvall’s condition, the decision to remove him from the game to receive medical attention appeared correct and sensible, especially with how dangerous concussions can be.

Elias Burke

Are Spurs still searching for an attacking identity?

Tottenham’s issues with ball progression are well-established this season, and little changed on Saturday evening.

Chelsea pressed Spurs well at times, but there were all too many occasions where the ball was being predictably circulated with few options ahead, forcing Spurs’ midfielders or full-backs to turn back and start again. Cue groans from the home fans.

Stitching the defence and forward line together continues to plague Frank’s side, but the alternative method of attack did not prove to be much better. Kolo Muani started as the central striker, and Spurs did occasionally bypass Chelsea’s press by playing the ball directly up to the French international, but the ball rarely — if ever — stuck in the opposition half.

Chelsea’s centre-backs would often win the first aerial duel against Kolo Muani, but the second balls — becoming an increasingly important part of the Premier League this season — were also won by the away side more often than not.

Pape Matar Sarr’s role behind Kolo Muani did provide athleticism through the centre of the pitch, but the two rarely had the opportunity to connect with each other via aerial flick-ons or neat link-up play.

With Joao Palhinha and Bentancur acting as protecting midfielders, the pair were too deep when Kolo Muani was contesting any aerial duels — making the disconnect between midfield and attack even more pronounced.

Frank’s side are caught between a rock and a hard place at times. They struggle to work the ball through the thirds, but they were equally poor when going direct.

Mark Carey

How impressive was Chelsea’s press?

You could argue that Tottenham’s build-up play was a little laboured at times, but equal credit must go to Chelsea’s aggressive pressing high up the field.

Caicedo’s tenacity was key to Chelsea’s opener in the first half as Spurs failed to clear their lines, with intelligent positioning from all of Maresca’s players to lock off the passing options and force the home side into mistakes.

Chelsea won possession in the attacking third on several occasions on Saturday evening, the second-highest tally of their Premier League campaign behind their season opener against Crystal Palace. It was not only the possession regains, but the purposeful attacking approach when they did win it back — going straight for the jugular in creating a further chance rather than recirculating the ball.

In the end, it was that proactive approach that won them the game — but it was a constant theme throughout.

Mark Carey

What did Frank say?

We will bring you this after he has spoken at the post-match press conference.

What did Maresca say?

We will bring you this after he has spoken at the post-match press conference.

What next for Spurs?

Tuesday, November 4: Copenhagen (home), Champions League, 8pm UK, 3pm ET

What next for Chelsea?

Tottenham Hotspur host Chelsea in the Premier League today as they look to maintain their strong start to the season.

Spurs come into the weekend in the Champions League having won 3-0 away to Everton last weekend. Chelsea, meanwhile, were beaten 2-1 at home by newly promoted Sunderland and could finish the day in the bottom half.

Kick-off: 5.30pm UK, 1.30pm ET, 10.30am PT

Watch: Sky Sports (UK); Peacock (U.S.)

Get in touch: live@theathletic.com

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Thomas Frank reserved special praise for the job done by his opposite number at Stamford Bridge,

💬 “Enzo's done an amazing job at Chelsea. First season, qualifying for the Champions League and winning the Conference League, so competing in definitely more than one front.

“They won the Club World Cup and had a decent start to the season — very impressive. It was very clear what he and his staff want to achieve, how they want to play.

“It's going to be a nice, good challenge, another nice, good challenge in the Premier League against a very good manager and a very good team.”

Enzo Maresca has decided to make 10 changes to his starting line-up again with Malo Gusto the only one to keep his place from the victory over Wolves in midweek.

Given the way that Jamie Gittens and Estevao impressed at Molineux, it is a little surprising that the Italian has not gone with the two widemen in better form. In saying that, Pedro Neto's reliability to help track back is surely a factor why he has been included again, while Alejandro Garnacho did get his first goal for Chelsea versus Sunderland last week.

Joao Pedro is expected to start up front, with recent back-up options Tyrique George and Marc Guiu on the bench. Liam Delap is not an option of course due to suspension. Meanwhile Wesley Fofana starts his first game in three having been an unused substitute in the previous two fixtures.

We are only moments away from both line-ups being revealed.

Will Thomas Frank pack the midfield to contain the visitors? Has Estevao's recent form warranted a start?

Just a couple of minutes until we find out — don't go anywhere!

For the past two seasons, Chelsea supporters have worried where the flair will come from if Cole Palmer was not in the side.

Palmer has been the difference-maker since joining from Manchester City in 2023 but is currently sidelined with a troublesome groin injury that is expected to keep him out for another five weeks.

But Estevao has kept everyone enthralled. This is the kind of player that gets people out of their seats. Scoring the late winner against Liverpool earlier this month did wonders to cement his popularity.

You can now hear chants of “Estevao, uh-huh, uh-huh, I like it, uh-huh, uh-huh” to the tune of the 1975 hit That’s the Way (I like it) by KC and the Sunshine Band.

Thomas Frank and his coaching staff deserve a lot of credit for tightening up the defence, but the supporters are becoming frustrated with the side’s struggles to create chances from open play.

Mohammed Kudus has made an immediate impact, but it is taking Xavi Simons longer to settle.

The biggest issue is the pairing of Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur in central midfield. Fans want to see Frank be more adventurous by dropping one of them and regularly starting Lucas Bergvall or Pape Matar Sarr instead.

The half-time whistle has gone in all five of today's 3pm kick-offs in the Premier League and we have had a goal in each of them.

Arsenal look to maintaining their lead at the top of the table as they are two goals ahead against Burnley, while the good times keep rolling for Ruben Amorim and Manchester United as they lead away to Nottingham Forest.

Elsewhere, Brighton and Crystal Palace are a goal to the good at home, as are Fulham against 10-man Wolves.

HT: Brighton 1-0 Leeds (Welbeck)

HT: Burnley 0-2 Arsenal (Gyokeres, Rice)

HT: Crystal Palace 1-0 Brentford (Mateta)

HT: Fulham 1-0 Wolves (Sessegnon)

HT: Nottingham Forest 0-1 Manchester United (Casemiro)

That is the big question, with Enzo Maresca’s side putting in a good display in big matches like the win against Liverpool earlier in October but struggling against newly promoted Sunderland last time out.

The best and worst of Chelsea has been on show of late. They consistently struggle against teams using the low block and looking for the counter.

But they are also motivated by their ‘underdog’ status and are capable of outfighting their opponent.

They could need plenty of fight in today's clash of two London rivals.

It is difficult, when you look at the Premier League table, to argue with Thomas Frank’s record at Tottenham Hotspur so far.

Nine games into the new season, they sat in third place. Even if you think it is too early to glean clear lessons from the table, the evidence of those nine games is promising.

But there have arguably been as many bad performances as good ones. Their home league games have been miserable since the Burnley win on opening day.

Football is not just about numbers and outcomes. Fans want to enjoy the process too.

One of the biggest questions at the start of Chelsea’s season was how they would cope without Levi Colwill. Nine games into the Premier League campaign, that is still the case.

After nine games of this campaign, Chelsea are one of two clubs to have used five different starting centre-back combinations in the Premier League (also Burnley). Chelsea have used seven in all competitions.

Enzo Maresca is trying to create a Chelsea team that balances experience with youth, confidence and flair with reliability — ideally, the centre of defence would be one of the first bricks laid.

Right now, while he does have promising options to call on, his go-to partnership remains unclear.

We are 24 per cent of the way through the 2025-26 Premier League season and one team look to be a cut above the rest so far.

Spurs fans in particular will be hoping that current leaders and biggest rivals Arsenal can still be reigned in. Could it be Thomas Frank’s side?

Or how about second-placed Bournemouth or anyone in the top half of the table, including Chelsea?

We got our writers to make a case for each team up to ninth place (after match week nine results) who could stop Mikel Arteta’s men from lifting the title.

Read more below.

No early kick-off for us to enjoy in the Premier League today, but it's a busy afternoon.

Five matches started a few minutes ago and there are another two later on.

No goals just yet, but we'll keep you updated with the scores over the next couple of hours.

All times GMT

Tottenham became the first Premier League side to come away from Everton’s new Hill Dickinson Stadium with three points with victory last time out in the league.

Micky van de Ven scored twice to put them in a commanding position in the match and Pape Matar Sarr secured the win late on as Spurs went third in the table.

A decent start to life in north London for Thomas Frank.

We want to hear from you, be it a comment, question, observation or something else.

Can Spurs finish in the top four this season? Is Enzo Maresca on borrowed time if Chelsea’s league form does not improve? And who do you think is going to win today?

Let us know at our email: live@theathletic.com and we may feature what we receive in our coverage.

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Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London

Lauded as one of the best stadia in Europe since its completion in 2019, the stadium has a capacity of 62,850.

Also a home for NFL games in the UK, Spurs’ stadium has also been used as a concert venue as well as hosting all of their home matches.

Tottenham Hotspur host Chelsea on Saturday in the pick of the Premier League games from the weekend.

They are fierce rivals and will be hoping to compete at the top end of the Premier League as the season wears on. After nine games, Spurs are third while Chelsea are in ninth.

But how does each club view the season so far? What are the expectations? How do fans feel about the manager? What does each team have to fear about the other? And just how intense does the rivalry feel right now?

Here, The Athletic’s experts Jay Harris and Simon Johnson answer a series of questions ahead of the game.

How has the season gone so far?

Jay Harris: It has been an encouraging start despite Wednesday night’s defeat to Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup. Spurs are third in the table and look far more compact than they did under former head coach Ange Postecoglou. They have a newfound resilience, demonstrated by scoring late equalisers against Bodo/Glimt, Brighton & Hove Albion, and Wolverhampton Wanderers. Thomas Frank has done a solid job so far, especially when you consider James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and first-choice striker Dominic Solanke are all injured.

Simon Johnson: It can perhaps be best summed up by their best performance of the season against Liverpool, followed by the worst in their next home league game against Sunderland. Chelsea have been consistently inconsistent so far, with even performances during the 90 minutes fluctuating from one extreme to another. The latest example of this came just three days ago when they led 3-0 against Wolverhampton Wanderers at half-time and hung on to win 4-3. Chelsea’s poor disciplinary record — they have had six red cards in the past nine games — has been a major negative. But one of the things that makes going to a Chelsea game so interesting is you never know what is going to happen, for better or worse.

What’s the mood like at the club?

Jay Harris: Frank and his coaching staff deserve a lot of credit for tightening up the defence, but the supporters are becoming frustrated with the side’s struggles to create chances from open play. Mohammed Kudus has made an immediate impact, but it is taking Xavi Simons longer to settle. The biggest issue is the pairing of Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur in central midfield. Fans want to see Frank be more adventurous by dropping one of them and regularly starting Lucas Bergvall or Pape Matar Sarr instead.

Simon Johnson: Neither too high nor too low. Chelsea have won five of their last six games in all competitions, which is not a bad run at all. The manner of their 2-1 home defeat to Sunderland was really disappointing, though. It was their last league game, so that has put them under even more pressure to get a good result at Spurs, especially as they have dropped to ninth in the table.

How do the fans feel about the manager?

Jay Harris: Postecoglou was a divisive figure towards the end of his reign, but a significant section of the fanbase wanted him to stay after their Europa League success. Fans quickly warmed to Frank because of his clever tactical approach in different games. Defeats to Bournemouth and Aston Villa upset the supporters, as they have only won three of their last 18 home games, but they recognise this squad is still a work in progress.

Simon Johnson: It still feels like a potpourri of opinions. There is a contingent that sees recent results and worrying defensive displays as more evidence that Chelsea are not making much progress under the Italian. Others remain positive, with Maresca still in credit for how he finished last season, plus given some sympathy for the injury issues he has had to navigate.

How do you both feel about set pieces ahead of Saturday’s game?

Jay Harris: Fabian Schar scored from a corner in slightly bizarre circumstances for Newcastle, but otherwise, Spurs are excellent at defending set pieces. Frank’s side boast the best record in the Premier League as they have only conceded once. They have scored five times from set pieces, which is less than Chelsea (8) and Arsenal (9), but highlights the threat they pose. An interesting subplot to this game is that Bernardo Cueva, Chelsea’s set-piece coach, worked under Frank at Brentford for four years.

Simon Johnson: It has to be a major concern for Chelsea. They struggle against long throw-ins as we have seen against Brentford, Sunderland and Wolverhampton Wanderers (in the Carabao Cup). Chelsea’s players are also guilty of switching off and being outmuscled in general. In saying that, Maresca’s side are second only to Arsenal in scoring from set pieces themselves, so they can certainly give as good as they can get.

How have Chelsea coped with Cole Palmer’s absence?

Simon Johnson: Any team is going to miss a player as good as Palmer. Chelsea have particularly felt the England international’s absence when facing a back five. His magic can obviously help break such teams down. It is to their credit that Chelsea are joint top scorers in the Premier League (with Tottenham and Manchester City), especially when you consider they have also had injury problems up front to deal with.

And have Spurs adapted to the injuries they’ve suffered, such as Maddison, Kulusevski and Solanke?

Jay Harris: Tottenham are over-reliant on set pieces to score, and that is due to the absence of this influential trio. Kulusevski was their best player last season until he suffered a foot injury in March. They sorely miss his ability to glide past defenders and carve open defences with clever passes.

Solanke is a pressing machine who can drop deep to link the play or run in behind centre-backs. He is an all-round threat compared to Richarlison, who looks clunky on the ball. The Brazilian has three goals in 15 appearances this season — and he scored two of them on the opening day against Burnley.

Maddison is capable of producing moments of magic to win games. He will probably miss the majority of the season due to an ACL injury, but there is hope Solanke and Kulusevski will return over the next few weeks.

Both clubs have impressive young players — who should we keep an eye on for Saturday?

Jay Harris: Bergvall is an excellent midfielder who grows in stature every week. The Sweden international will become undroppable if he scores and creates more goals. Simons has been around for a long time, but it is easy to forget he is only 22. He will be a huge problem for opposition defences once he adjusts to the physicality of English football. I also have a small confession. I was in the stands at Stamford Bridge for last week’s defeat to Sunderland with a couple of friends who are Chelsea season-ticket holders. It was an underwhelming performance, but Josh Acheampong caught my eye. The 19-year-old’s confidence to dribble out of defence is impressive for somebody who is so young and inexperienced.

Simon Johnson: I am going to sound like a broken record this season, but the answer to this every week will be Estevao Willian. It is too early to say he is on Palmer’s level, but there are similarities in the way they look a cut above the rest. He has already scored in the Premier League, Champions League and Carabao Cup. Another one to look out for is Jamie Gittens. He got off to a slow start to his Chelsea career after joining from Borussia Dortmund last summer. He has begun to show his quality in recent weeks, though, and will be full of confidence following his three goal involvements (one goal, two assists) at Wolves in midweek. Chelsea generally have impressive young players, though — against Wolves, according to Opta, they became the first Premier League side with four scorers aged 21 or younger in a match in all competitions — Estevao (18), Gittens (21), Tyrique George (19) and Andrey Santos (21).

What is your club aiming for this season?

Jay Harris: Frank wants Spurs to compete in multiple competitions, which is why Wednesday’s exit from the Carabao Cup will be so frustrating. The minimum they should be aiming for is to reach the last 16 of the Champions League and to finish in the top six in the Premier League.

Simon Johnson: The objectives have not changed. Chelsea do not expect to win the Premier League, but the club want to challenge for longer and finish closer to top spot. They also intend to do well in the three cup competitions. As far as the latter goes, they have reached the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup, where they have a very winnable tie against League One Cardiff City. By winning their last two games, Chelsea have also put themselves in contention for a top-eight finish in the Champions League group stage. Meanwhile, the FA Cup obviously does not start for Chelsea until the new year.

How big does the rivalry feel ahead of Saturday?

Jay Harris: Spurs’ recent record against Chelsea is abysmal. Postecoglou lost four times to them, including that infamous 4-1 defeat in November 2023. Spurs were 2-0 up at home after 11 minutes last season but somehow lost 4-3. One of the lowest moments of Postecoglou’s reign came at Stamford Bridge in April when he cupped his ears to the Tottenham supporters after Pape Matar Sarr scored, only for the goal to be disallowed. Lots of Spurs fans will tell you that only misery awaits them against Chelsea, so it will be huge for Frank if he beats them at the first attempt.

Simon Johnson: No matter how bad Tottenham are or how many times Chelsea beat them, it never diminishes. It is the one fixture no Chelsea head coach can afford to lose because of how much it means to the fanbase. There is a greater need for Chelsea to get the three points this season, with Spurs sitting above them in the table and looking likely to be a contender for one of the Champions League qualifying positions.

What should Spurs fear most about Chelsea?

Jay Harris: No matter how badly Chelsea are performing, they tend to find a way to beat Spurs.

Simon Johnson: Perhaps that the goals can come from anywhere rather than relying on one individual. Chelsea already have 10 different scorers in the Premier League. So it is not as if Tottenham can relax if they keep one or two players quiet.

And what should Chelsea fear about Spurs?

Simon Johnson: The topic has already been covered above, but Tottenham’s threat from set pieces. Frank has also made Tottenham frugal at the back. That will ask questions of Chelsea’s ability again to unlock a well-organised back line.

Jay Harris: Wilson Isidor scored Sunderland’s opener last weekend from a throw-in. With Cristian Romero a doubt due to an adductor injury, Chelsea need to prepare for Kevin Danso to launch the ball into the box from a throw-in at every opportunity.

What’s your prediction?

Jay Harris: Spurs have the joint-second-best defensive record in the league, and I struggle to see Chelsea breaking them down without Cole Palmer. I’m going to say 2-1 Spurs, with at least one of their goals coming from a set-piece.

Chelsea travel to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday with the sides mirroring each other in various statistics.

Both are averaging 1.9 goals per game, the joint-highest rate in the Premier League, and each has leant heavily on set pieces to reach that total. Chelsea’s total of nine goals from dead-ball situations trails only that of Arsenal (11) while Tottenham, under new head coach Thomas Frank, have tapped into his old Brentford blend of craft and chaos, scoring twice from corners in last weekend’s 3-0 win at Everton.

Two sides with shared strengths but differing methods, aligned in numbers, but divided by philosophy. Here, then, is how the tactical battle should play out in north London.

Structure and set pieces

Chelsea under Enzo Maresca have built their identity on structure and control. Their set-piece threat has carried much of the team’s attacking weight, and the patterns are now familiar. From corners, they mix short routines with whipped inswingers from both flanks — deliveries that curl into the six-yard area and invite near-post flicks. They also rely on a range of rehearsed short-corner moves. The technical quality of Enzo Fernandez, Reece James, Pedro Neto, Estevao and (the currently injured) Cole Palmer bring those patterns to life.

Open play has been harder to master. After a summer of heavy turnover, this young Chelsea side can dominate possession yet still struggle to break down low defensive blocks. They managed only 0.38 xG from open play in the 2-1 loss to Sunderland at Stamford Bridge last weekend, and just 0.10 non-penalty xG in away defeat by the same score against Manchester United in September.

Maresca’s 4-2-3-1 relies on inverted full-backs and wide wingers to create overloads in build-up, and on midfielders who can receive on the turn under pressure. Without Palmer’s invention, though, they have often lacked ideas and incision in the final third.

Defensively, Chelsea have looked vulnerable to the league’s growing directness: long balls, second phases and especially long throws. They have conceded from two long throws in their past two matches, most recently in the midweek Carabao Cup win at Wolverhampton Wanderers, when they lost four successive aerial duels before a far-post finish from David Moller Wolfe. The warning signs had already appeared when hosts Brentford scored from a similar routine in September’s 2-2 draw.

Neither goalkeeper Robert Sanchez nor his defence has yet imposed authority in their box, often losing sight of runners arriving from behind.

For all their control, Chelsea remain most vulnerable when the game becomes untidy.

Frank’s Tottenham emerge

Frank has brought calm, balance and intent to Tottenham after the turbulence of Ange Postecoglou’s final months. After finishing 17th last season with 38 points, progress in 2025-26 was always the floor, not the ceiling. The intrigue lies in how that progress has taken shape. Frank has traded idealism for a more pragmatic, calculated approach, occasionally helped along by the xG gods.

Spurs have conceded 0.78 goals per 90 minutes this season, down from 1.71 in the previous one, and are facing fewer shots on target and allowing less xG overall. Errors in build-up still appear, but Guglielmo Vicario’s form in goal has often covered them. His +2.3 PSxG (post-shot expected goals) figure is third-best in the Premier League, and his impact extends beyond the numbers. He produced a man-of-the-match performance against Monaco in the Champions League last week and followed it with decisive saves in that win over Everton.

The set-piece evolution at Tottenham reflects their broader attacking rhythm. Inswinging corners are consistently drilled into the same six-yard corridor, using heavy traffic around the goalkeeper to unsettle defences. The movement pattern is deliberately chaotic, players shuffling from far post to near, switching markers and creating blind-side runs, a routine lifted straight from Frank’s Brentford playbook. They have already scored five times from set pieces this season and added long throws to their armoury.

Lucas Bergvall’s long throw, alongside that of Kevin Danso, gives Spurs another way to attack, and their combination could trouble a Chelsea side who have struggled to defend such deliveries into their penalty area.

The evolution is clearest in how they use the ball.

Tottenham are now more vertical, using Pedro Porro’s passing range to break lines and new signing Mohammed Kudus’ carries to drive them forward. Their long-pass share has risen while total passes have fallen, a reflection of Frank’s preference for gaining ground quickly rather than circulating possession for its own sake.

The contrast between home and away matches is striking. On the road, Spurs have scored a league-high 12 goals from 5.8 xG, are unbeaten in five games and have conceded only three times. Playing on their own patch, however, they have produced 4.1 xG across four matches and scored four — evidence that the crowd’s appetite for expansive football sometimes collides with Frank’s measured plan.

It also underlines that while progress is evident, evolution takes time; this lot have come a long way but remain midway through their rebuild.

Injuries to James Maddison, Cristian Romero, Dejan Kulusevski, Dominic Solanke, Destiny Udogie and Yves Bissouma have disrupted the team’s rhythm, while several summer signings missed out on a proper pre-season.

Combined with a busy schedule, it has left Frank refining both structure and chemistry in real-time rather than on the training ground.

Why the midfield battle should be decisive

The midfield contest promises to be both intricate and decisive. Moises Caicedo has been Chelsea’s anchor and most reliable performer this season. Calm under pressure and composed in tight spaces, his press-resistance allows Maresca’s side to build through the centre with control.

He also leads the Premier League in interceptions per 90 minutes, illustrating his influence on both sides of the ball. Opposite him stands one of the league’s most disruptive ball-winners in Joao Palhinha, a destroyer who relishes duels and dictates rhythm through aggression. Palhinha averages 4.2 tackles per 90, the highest rate in the division among midfielders.

Chelsea could strengthen their grip in midfield by pairing Caicedo with Romeo Lavia, forming a pivot that would be capable of circulating possession under pressure.

Liam Delap’s return from a two-month injury absence for this fixture would have been eagerly anticipated, but the striker’s suspension after getting sent off in his comeback appearance against Wolves in midweek leaves Maresca with a decision to make.

Joao Pedro provides a different option, preferring to drop deep and combine with team-mates. That contrast is reflected in the Chelsea scoring charts, where midfielders Caicedo and Fernandez lead the way on three each, with the latter also taking the most shots in the squad. Finding a way to involve their forwards more consistently will be crucial if Chelsea are to trouble Spurs today.

For Tottenham, this match represents another measure of how far they have come under Frank, a coach defined by preparation, adaptability and detail.

Victory would lift them into second place in the table behind only Arsenal and underline their quiet transformation.

With the Premier League season so far being defined by set plays and marginal gains, this game could be its ultimate advert.

Tottenham Hotspur captain Cristian Romero is available for Saturday’s Premier League fixture against Chelsea, while head coach Thomas Frank says Wilson Odobert and Destiny Udogie are also fit.

Romero has missed four consecutive matches across the league, Champions League and Carabao Cup after being pulled out of the pre-match warm-up against Aston Villa on October 19 with an adductor injury.

Odobert was a surprise omission from Tottenham’s 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United on Wednesday, with Frank later confirming he was unavailable due to a minor side strain, while Udogie has been out of action since picking up a knee injury on international duty with Italy earlier this month.

“(Cristian) Romero, Destiny (Udogie) and Wilson (Odobert) are available for selection tomorrow,” Frank said in his pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon. “If (Romero) was fit enough, he would have been involved Wednesday. He’s ready to be involved tomorrow. Let’s see how much.”

After scoring his first career brace in Tottenham’s 3-0 win over Everton last Sunday, Micky van de Ven sat out their mid-week defeat to Newcastle. Kevin Danso, who has deputised excellently in Romero’s absence, played the full match alongside Joao Palhinha in central defence.

On the other end of the pitch, Frank said Dominic Solanke, who has only featured twice this season, will not return before the November international break.

“We’re very aware that when we get Dom back, we hopefully, touch wood, have him back and no setbacks,” Frank said. “We are very aware of doing it the right way. It’s going in the right direction, he will not be available before the international break. So that’s the status right now.”

Tottenham are not in good form against Chelsea, losing four straight games under previous head coach Ange Postecoglou. Still, Frank is looking forward to his first London derby at home as Spurs boss.

“Very exciting,” he said. “Really looking forward to it. It’s a London derby between two big rivals. There’s so much on it, against a very good Chelsea team. It will be a very, very competitive even game under the floodlights. It’s got everything to be a top game where you will be on the edge of your seat hopefully.

“We need to come flying out and get the fans with us. I’m very, very positive about us coming out and performing very well tomorrow.”

Mikel Arteta says he is hopeful that Martin Odegaard, Noni Madueke and Kai Havertz could return from injury in time to face Tottenham Hotspur in the north London derby on November 23, providing the Arsenal squad with a “huge boost”.

Speaking at his press conference ahead of Arsenal’s trip to Burnley on Saturday, Arteta said: “I’m excited because they are tremendous players. I see them work every single day, how desperate they are to be part of the team.

“The huge boost that is going to be for the squad to have and those players again, after such a long, long time, so really happy that I think it’s going to be very soon.”

Havertz underwent surgery for a knee injury in August, while Madueke went off injured against Manchester City in September.

Club captain Odegaard suffered a medial collateral ligament injury against West Ham in early October. Arteta declined to be more specific in terms of individual timelines, but believes the trio are all edging closer to a return. Arsenal are also hopeful that Gabriel Jesus will not be too far behind.

“I would say weeks, and some of them pretty soon, hopefully, if they keep evolving the way they are doing,” Arteta added.

“It’s difficult to put a game, you know — we have the international break, which is a two-week break there. And after that, I think we’ll have some back. I don’t know if it’s going to be all of them or some of them, but we’ll be quite close by then.”

There was less positive news on Gabriel Martinelli, who has been ruled out of the trip to Burnley. “This game is going to come too early,” confirmed Arteta.

William Saliba, who missed the midweek Carabao Cup tie against Brighton & Hove Albion, could be in contention for a place. “We have to wait and see,” Arteta said.

Arteta is anticipating a tough test for the Premier League leaders at Turf Moor.

“The game against Burnley is going to be really tough,” the Arsenal manager warned. “They are extremely well-coached, and Scott (Parker) has done really well with the club and with this team. It’s formidable and when you look at all the games, five of the last games that they played, they showed they are a very, very tough team to beat.”

Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Brighton on Wednesday set up a Carabao Cup quarter-final against Crystal Palace – but the tie is facing severe scheduling issues due to Palace’s participation in the Conference League.

Arsenal’s preference is to play the tie, as scheduled, on Tuesday, December 16, which would leave Palace facing four games in eight days but Christmas Eve is another option.

The English Football League (EFL), which runs the Carabao Cup, is in conversation with all relevant stakeholders, including both clubs, over the scheduling of the tie.

“Every decision that we make in terms of a fixture has to be guided on two main things: players’ welfare and then supporters,” said Arteta. “That’s it. And the rest has to come very, very far away from that. And we should never forget that principle. That’s the only thing I would say.”