Chelsea vs Tottenham Hotspur, Premier League: live score and latest updates

Spurs will be the happier of the two teams. They have not been troubled apart from the move that led to Werner’s disallowed goal and have been the more threatening. Three or four well constructed counter which they failed to finish off. 

Chelsea ending the half how they started it with an almighty spell of possession in the Tottenham half but they fail to turn it into a clear-cut opportunity. Kante tries to burst through the middle but Dier gets a foot in. Reguilon gets Spurs down the pitch before the whistle blows. 

Ziyech gets free down the right and swings another cross in towards the back post but it is slightly too heavy for Werner to get there. The former Ajax winger getting more involved though. 

A bit fortuitous from Rodon as a Chilwell cross deflects off him straight to Lloris but he had a good game so far. Kante then pulled up for a foul on Son. Moments later Abraham tries to attack a cross but fouls Rodon. The game ticking towards half time. 

That was better quality from Chelsea as Ziyech whips an inswinger into the box but it is awkward for Abraham who cannot make much of a connection. If it is going to happen for Chelsea, you sense Ziyech will be involved. 

Kane headed the corner clear and then the ball won’t fall for Chilwell who slices a shot wildly over the bar. Good clean challenge from Kovacic as Ndombele threatened to burst clear. 

Zouma sticks out a long leg to cut out an attempted through ball from Ndombele to Kane. All of Chelsea’s early momentum has gone which is to Spurs’ immense credit. They are looking for a spark. Tammy Abraham tries to provide it with a driving run from wide into the penalty box. Wins a corner. 

 Werner’s disallowed goal

Good interception from Rodon at the back for Spurs. They have got the measure of Werner’s out-to-in runs so far. Ndombele then carries the ball forward well and wins a free-kick which comes to nothing. 

Ziyech booked after good combination play involving Kane. He played a first time ball to the on-rushing Reguilon who was clipped.

Free kick, 30 yards or so out left of centre. Kane takes it out but gets it all wrong and it flies high, wide and handsome. 

Not often we’ve said this in recent weeks, but Tottenham just butchered a good counter-attacking situation. Kane with another fine pass for the run of Son down the left, he passed to Bergwijn who tried to reverse a ball back over to Ndombele but Kante cut it out. Down the other end, Mount shoots over from 25 yards after a jinking run. 

A quiet few minutes in the game. Once again the same pattern is set: Zouma and Thiago Siilva with loads of time on the ball but not too many passing options against Spurs’ well-drilled unit. Sissoko and Hojberg doing a good job of protecting their defence. 

Good defending between Kante and James to crowd out Kane in the box but Chelsea struggle to construct any sort of counter-attack. Spurs looking quite comfortable after a tentative first 10. 

I know it is not Chelsea’s method but you wonder if they could seek Abraham earlier in moves against an untried centre-back pairing. They are trying to build play deliberately but are struggling to pick passes through the middle into dangerous pockets of space. Tottenham letting the full-backs have it. 

Tottenham conceded some territory in the early minutes but are starting to get their eye in from an attacking point of view. Their passing is crisp and accurate when they do get on the ball. 

That was brilliant play from Ndombele in Tottenham’s midfield to roll away from two Chelsea players, and Reguilon then sends in a searching cross in Kane’s direction. Good header from Chilwell at the back post. 

From the second phase of the the resulting corner, Dier tees up Aurier who stings the palms of Mendy from distance. Good save. 

Chelsea have the ball in the net! But the flag goes up for offside, correctly in turns out. Chelsea suddenly had Spurs’ defence exposed with Mount running it at them, he slipped a ball through to Werner in the left channel who was in all kinds of space after an Aurier slip, and the German curled a shot in off the post. Fine finish but it doesn’t count. 

That was excellent counter-attacking play from Tottenham. A sweeping move ends with Reguilon picking out Kane at the edge of the box who plays a first time pass into Bergwijn’s path in the left side of the area, but he blazed over after chopping back on his right foot. 

More crosses fired into the Spurs box. Mount gets free in the left half-space with a nice rotation involving Werner but his ball is too heavy, before James’ cross is headed back to Lloris from the chest of Aurier. Chelsea controlling possession. 

A loose Chelsea pass allows Spurs to spring down their left flank and win a throw high up the pitch. They are forced back and once again Chelsea get themselves on the ball. Not necessarily finding it easy to find Mount or Ziyech in the pockets though. 

Spurs not pressing too high as expected, Bergwijn and Son defending quite narrow to make it a tight 4-4-2 shape without the ball. Chelsea swing another cross in from the right that Aurier fails to deal with but Werner makes nothing of it at the back post. Chelsea back on the front foot and in comfortable possession…Zouma, Thiago Silva and James getting plenty of early touches.

Good defensive intervention from Aurier who feeds Ndombele who is caught on the ball, and then Kovacic turns possession over again and Spurs’ defenders get a chance to settle in possession. 

Chelsea launch the first meaningful attack of the match – Dier heads a cross from the right clear and then Ziyech hits a dipping shot from distance straight at Lloris. 

It is Chelsea who get us under way. Son lining up on the right side of Tottenham’s attack initially. 

Not too many pleasantries exchanged between Lampard and Mourinho with the Tottenham manager sat in his seat in the away dugout. 

The players gather in the centre circle – of course, there is a Tottenham link to Maradona through former player and World Cup winner Ossie Ardiles. 

The biggest game of the Premier League weekend and a pivotal 90 minutes in the both teams’ season. 

Two managers and two clubs who could take advantage of this chaotic Premier League season. Read the article in full here.  This is a taster:

Jose Mourinho, above all managers perhaps, has built a reputation on being able to sense blood in the water. To capitalise on confusion and vulnerability. He will be delighting in Guardiola’s apparent struggles, Jurgen Klopp complaining about the fixture schedule, Mikel Arteta’s difficulties at Arsenal and – maybe above all given his history – Manchester United’s angst. Mourinho will be delighting in not feeling any of that pressure.

Lampard has favoured a 4-3-3 in recent matches and looks to be continuing in that vein with Kovacic and Mount pushed on ahead of Kante. Last season, the Croatian midfielder tended to play deeper alongside Kante. 

By contrast, I imagine Spurs will play with a deep-lying pair of Hojberg and Sissoko with Ndombele in front of them. When Spurs get into defensive shape, Ndombele might line up as the second striker alongside Kane to free him from some tactical responsibility. Son against James and Thiago Silva in the left channel looks a good match-up. 

Chelsea:Mendy, Silva, Zouma, Chilwell, James, Kovacic, Kante, Mount, Ziyech, Abraham, Werner

Spurs: Lloris, Rodon, Dier, Aurier, Reguilon, Hojbjerg, Ndombele, Sissoko, Bergwijn, Son, Kane

You do not always get to choose when you are ready to compete for the Premier League title. The consensus view held that this campaign was a year too soon for Chelsea’s expensively reshaped squad, while Tottenham and Jose Mourinho looked a marriage of convenience destined for the rocks. Now, in the last Premier League weekend of November, victory for either team at Stamford Bridge could well cement them as Liverpool’s closest challengers. 

Both teams are top-heavy with attacking talent but have contrasting approaches to getting them in dangerous positions. Frank Lampard’s team are more possession-focused, building play through the thirds and pushing their full-backs high up the pitch to enable the likes of Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner to come in off their perch from starting positions on the flanks. 

Lampard’s former boss Jose Mourinho does things differently. Although Spurs have added midfield quality through the purchase of Pierre-Emile Hojberg and the improvement of Tanguy Ndombele, they prefer to spring from deeper positions. Harry Kane drops off and looks to drag opposing centre-backs out of position, with Heung-min Son and Steven Bergwijn attacking the space they vacate.

Spurs will be without Toby Alderweireld after he suffered a groin injury against Manchester City, when Spurs were excellent, but there is a boost for Chelsea with Christian Pulisic fit again. Right-back Matt Doherty is available for Spurs but Serge Aurier was excellent against City and could well retain his place. 

“We respect their potential and I think they respect our potential. Honestly, I don’t think they believe they are going to play an easy opponent,” Mourinho said.

“I would love them to feel that way, but I don’t think they do. Frank is a man with a lot of experience in football and I think they know we are a difficult team that is capable to go there and win.”

Full team news on the way.