Since taking charge of Tottenham Hotspur, Jose Mourinho has overseen a substantial upturn in form from the North London side. When he took charge, they were 14th in the Premier League and less than a month later Spurs sit fifth, rapidly approaching his former club Chelsea in the league table. The two sides meet on the 22nd of December in the latest instalment of what has become a fierce rivalry in the capital.
When the Blues arrive at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, they will be well aware that losing that fixture would leave them level on points with Mourinho’s new side, but behind them on goal difference. It would be the first time since match week eight that Frank Lampard’s Chelsea would sit outside the top four, at that point in time Spurs were ninth, just four points off the relegation zone.
It has been a remarkable turnaround since Mourinho’s introduction as Spurs have acquired 12 points from their last five fixtures, only two points fewer than they registered in 12 games under Mauricio Pochettino. The Portuguese manager knows Chelsea better than most, and he would take great pride in defeating Lampard, a player who was instrumental in winning Mourinho his first pair of Premier League titles.
Meanwhile, Chelsea’s form has been the exact opposite of Tottenham’s past five games. A tremendous start to the campaign is at risk of being derailed, having been defeated in four of their previous five matches, with the loss to Bournemouth at the weekend a particularly low point. There will likely be a lot of respect between the two managers when they meet in the dugout in the Premier League for the first time, but the significance of the result will not be lost on either of them.
Lampard has looked imperious since being appointed manager at Stamford Bridge, and this is the first actual test of his resolve. While Mourinho will keen to make sure the student has not become the master and that his new club qualifies for Europe’s premier competition. Either way, when the mid-point of the season for both clubs arrives on the 22nd of December, the result could be pivotal to how the second half plays out.
