Tottenham’s next matchup in the Premier League comes against bitter rivals Chelsea, and De Zerbi will want to build on the win over Coventry. Ahead of the London derby, we’ve put together the starting XI we’d like to see.

After seven matches in the Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur finally secured their first win on Monday against Coventry City.

It was a victory spearheaded by the return of James Maddison, who opened the scoring and set the tone for the rest of the match as Spurs put Frank Lampard’s side to the sword.

Up next for the Lilywhites is a clash against London rivals Chelsea, who have been in strong form and currently sit fourth in the Premier League table.

The Blues have won back-to-back matches heading into this encounter, beating Bournemouth 5-1 and Everton 2-0.

Spurs, meanwhile, will need to be at their very best if they are to claim victory. History is not on their side, with Chelsea dominating this fixture at Stamford Bridge. The two sides have met 34 times there in the Premier League, with Chelsea winning 22, drawing 11 and losing just once.

That sole Tottenham victory came back in 2018 thanks to Dele Alli and company, and Roberto De Zerbi will be desperate for his side to replicate that result next weekend.

Ahead of Saturday’s meeting, Spurs Web has put together the starting XI they are desperate to see against the Blues.

Tottenham XI we want to see vs Chelsea

The last two games have seen Tottenham’s backline shuffled, with Marcos Senesi featuring at centre-back against Manchester United, Archie Gray at right-back, Jan Paul van Hecke at centre-back and Destiny Udogie at left-back.

Against Coventry, the defence looked different again, with what resembled a back three: van Hecke deployed in a hybrid role between centre-back and inverted full-back, Tosin Adarabioyo at centre-back, Micky van de Ven at centre-back and Andy Robertson often pushing high, almost as a winger.

That setup proved enough for Spurs to secure their first win of the season. While there may be temptation to stick with it, we would like to see some changes in personnel.

Pedro Porro could return to match fitness and be available against Chelsea, with De Zerbi hinting at this a few weeks ago. Should the Tottenham right-back be fit, we expect him to return at right-back to offer balance and creativity on the flanks.

At centre-back, while Tosin and Senesi have looked sharp recently, we expect the more familiar pairing of van de Ven and van Hecke to return. They have been De Zerbi’s first-choice partnership and should line up again.

At left-back, Udogie would be the ideal option given his defensive solidity, especially against Chelsea’s pace down that side. However, with Udogie sidelined by a knee injury, Robertson could be in line to start. The former Liverpool man was taken off against Coventry with what looked like a knock, but De Zerbi has since confirmed he is fine.

Midfield and attack options for Spurs against Chelsea

In midfield, De Zerbi’s choices are limited with Lucas Bergvall injured and Rodrigo Bentancur suspended, but one name guaranteed to be on the team sheet is Sandro Tonali.

The record signing impressed against Coventry, covering ground and contributing defensively in one of his best Tottenham performances to date, making him a must against Chelsea.

Alongside him, we would like to see an unchanged midfield from the Coventry game: Archie Gray and James Maddison. Gray’s intelligence allows him to adapt to different roles, and his discipline in covering van Hecke on the right was crucial last time out.

He also linked well with Mohammed Kudus, making underlapping and overlapping runs that created space for Maddison’s goal.

Ahead of them, Maddison is sure to bring creativity and goals, and Spurs fans are unanimous in wanting him to start against Chelsea.

In attack, we would like to see the same forward line. All three contributed against Coventry: Kudus provided an assist, Omar Marmoush scored, and Dominic Solanke registered an assist.

That confidence boost should serve them well heading into this derby. Savio would ideally have been included, but he remains sidelined.

This is the Tottenham XI we want to see against Chelsea: Kinsky; Porro, van Hecke, van de Ven, Udogie; Tonali, Gray, Maddison; Kudus, Solanke, Marmoush