According to a report by Football London on Thursday October 22, 2026, Xabi Alonso, manager of Chelsea, has a tough week ahead. On Saturday, his team will face Tottenham in the Premier League. Then, they will face Liverpool and Manchester United, two more tough opponents.

The Blues have won their last two league games, which is great news for fans as they have bounced back to take fourth place. Going into this London derby, Chelsea cannot afford to be complacent due to Tottenham's recent improvement.

With captain Reece James out with a knee injury and Emi Martinez out with a broken jaw, Alonso will also be short on options when choosing his starting lineup. Their absences may affect how Chelsea trains for the important match this coming weekend.

Peter Crouch, a former England striker, and Steve Sidwell, a former Chelsea midfielder, are both rooting for the Blues to win. In an interview for That Peter Crouch Podcast, Crouch expressed his belief that Chelsea has a substantial advantage due to their high-quality offense.

Clearly, Chelsea are the favorites. Although they defeated Coventry, Spurs have otherwise been disappointing. As Crouch explained, Tottenham's recent 3-1 victory was a huge win for them.

Crouch is still sure Chelsea will win at Stamford Bridge, even though he is aware of Tottenham's most recent result. While at home, I still prefer Chelsea," he continued. They rack up the goals; I'm taking Chelsea by a score of 3-1.

Because of Chelsea's present form and home field advantage, Sidwell thinks the hosts will take all three points. But he did concede that Alonso's squad might have trouble keeping up with Tottenham's inventive players.

Since Kulusevski and Madison are back, Tottenham has regained some of the inventiveness they lost. While Chelsea are at home, they are flying. A fresh slate. Per Sidwell, the score would be Chelsea 2-0.

Another reason to be optimistic is Chelsea's recent record against Tottenham. In their previous 18 meetings, the Blues have won fourteen times, while the Spurs have won just twice.

In addition to winning two games against Tottenham last season, Chelsea have won their last six matches in a row. The Alonso team now has even more incentive to maintain their lead after that spectacular sequence.

Despite Tottenham's confidence-boosting win, Chelsea's potent offense could be the game-changer. However, in order to keep their winning streak going, Alonso needs to make sure his team stays disciplined defensively.