Chelsea legend Pat Nevin has admitted that the Blues’ meeting with rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday will be the perfect opportunity to gauge how far they have come under Maurizio Sarri.
The Blues will return to action after the international break on Saturday in the Premier League when they make the trip to Wembley ahead of the meeting with Tottenham.
Chelsea will head into the game on a high after being the only remaining team in Europe’s top five leagues to be unbeaten at this stage, across all competitions.
However, Chelsea will be more than aware of the fact that Spurs will pose a stern challenge away from home, especially considering the fact that a win would lift Mauricio Pochettino’s men over the visitors in the league table on Saturday.
Nevin, who was an influential figure at Stamford Bridge during his playing days, admits that the meeting with Spurs will be the perfect opportunity to gauge the Blues' development under Sarri this term.
“There have only been three defeats in the past 19 duels, so it is with some confidence that we prepare for the game at the weekend”, Nevin wrote in his column for the club’s official website.
“It will however be anything but easy and a quick look at the league table shows there isn’t a great deal separating the sides at the moment, just one measly point.
“It is another one of those significant games that gives us all a chance to gauge just where we are at the moment.
“Matches against others outside of the top six have generally been taken care of with aplomb so far but the ‘big six’ games have been more challenging.
“Arsenal were beaten at the Bridge but draws against Liverpool and Manchester United showed that the fight for a top-four spot is going to be anything but easy.”
Chelsea snatched a late 2-1 win during the corresponding fixture between the two sides last season, courtesy of Marcos Alonso, who netted a brace for the visitors.
