Game Week 10 Predictions: Over 5.5 bookings

Tottenham vs Chelsea London derby: Spurs chase bogey win over Blues. Youthful Chelsea lack discipline; expect goals & cards. Verdict: Over 5.5 cards.

Chelsea has had the upper hand in this fixture over the years, can Spurs stop them this one time? (Photo credit: Opta)

 Tottenham vs Chelsea

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

6:30pm

It’s a game of total football, and what a way to enjoy your Saturday evening. This is one hell of an interesting London derby; it’s Tottenham vs Chelsea.

The Europa League champions have struggled to beat Chelsea anywhere; it’s always going the way of the Blues, and you wonder what Spurs have to do to beat Chelsea. The fans will expect so much from the players; will they respond?

At what point do teams begin to fight off the “bogey” team tag some other teams have on them? Chelsea has become a major problem for Spurs over the years. Is it a psychological battle for Tottenham to overcome this season?

Chelsea knows what is at stake; the famous quote of John Terry will continue to ring in their heads after he said Spurs won’t come to Stamford Bridge to pick three points that would hand them the title in 2016. It’s a standard Chelsea wants to uphold; it’s one Tottenham must find a way to destroy.

This current Chelsea side is young and inexperienced, and even their Club World Cup isn’t telling on the way they approach games. The manner of their red cards shows they need a senior player in the dressing room; they lack discipline, and they need one or some soon.

Enzo Maresca hasn’t signed a single player above the age of 30; it’s good for business, but the lack of experience is telling on this Chelsea side. For this game, this isn’t one in which they want to get a red card in; Spurs will take advantage.

Who are the players who will underline this one? Let’s start from the goalkeepers; Chelsea’s goalkeeping situation is not the most exciting one, but Robert Sanchez keeps his gloves, while Gigi Vicario is amazing in goal for Spurs right now; he won them points in the last few games, and he’s the better one for now.

Defensively, Christian Romero is injured, and Micky Van De Ven will continue as the skipper. Who will play without him? Kevin Danso will, but it’s in the fullback positions that we need to see what Thomas Frank does. For Chelsea, the uncertainty in selection is expected again.

The midfield battle will be key. Joao Palhinha and Moises Caicedo, two of the toughest tacklers in the league, go head-to-head; it will be fascinating to see. The players around them are also expected to join the conversation, talking about Enzo Fernandez and Pape Matar Sarr.

This is a game in which you’d love to see the wide players, Mohammed Kudus, Xavi Simmons, Estevao and Pedro Neto. It’s a game we love to see; we expect goals and lots of bookings from this one. It will be fun at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Verdict: Over 5.5 cards