Tottenham vs. Chelsea: 6 Bold Predictions Spurs Big Match Saturday

Ah, it's good to be back.

After a week off, Premier League football is back, and boy, does it get back going with a vengeance.

In the first match of the weekend, Tottenham and Chelsea will do battle at White Hart Lane. Many storylines pervade this one, not the least of which being Spurs' manager Andre Villas-Boas' pursuit of vengeance on the club that sacked him not a year ago.

So what should we expect from this top-of-the-Premier-League battle?

Here are six bold predictions to whet your appetite.

Friedel Starts over Lloris

Okay, this one isn't exactly bold given that there are already whispers of the possibility of it happening.

However, it is still a huge surprise to many, who see the move as poor managing on the part of AVB.

To defend the manager a bit and explain where he is coming from, let me just say that I do not believe the change at keeper for the Villa match was ever meant to be a permanent move. Brad Friedel had played very well the previous week against United, so why would Villas-Boas have picked that time to drop him?

Rather, I believe it was a favor to Hugo Lloris, who was heading into the international break without so much as a league start this season. From what I can gather, AVB just couldn't, in good conscience, send the French captain back to his country's camp without giving him at least one match.

Now, Lloris held Villa scoreless and played superbly against Spain, but I think Villas-Boas already had his mind set on returning to Friedel.

Would I have done this? No, I would have stuck with Friedel or made a permanent shift.

However, I see where AVB was coming from.

Let's see how it works out.

The Match Starts Much Slower Than Many Expect

Many see this as being a barn-burner with many goals throughout. I see it playing out a bit differently.

AVB will have his troops ready to strike on the counter right from the start, but I see Chelsea employing a cautious approach, wary of their opponents' abilities on the break.

Particularly because of the absence of John Terry in the center of defense, Chelsea will play with methodical build-up and try to break their opponents down without leaving themselves open at the back.

As a result, the Blues will hold the majority of possession, but will struggle to find the breakthrough.

Jermain Defoe Struggles Up Front

As Chelsea hold onto the ball and Spurs wait to pounce on the break, Jermain Defoe is left isolated up front and is a big nonfactor in the match.

Just like in the second half of Spurs' match with Manchester United, the striker is unable to effectively hold the ball up when his teammates actually get it to him.

The rest of the side still holds on for a 0-0 half-time scoreline, but Defoe is subbed out for Emmanuel Adebayor during the break.

Spurs Start the Second Half Brightly and Bale Gets the Opener

With Adebayor up front, Spurs come out a different side in the second half and get a fair bit of pressure through the first 10 minutes.

On the Spurs' first real chance of the match, Bale makes a darting run and strikes a beautiful ball into the top corner from the edge of the box for the 1-0 lead.

Mata Gets the Equalizer

The opener for Spurs leads them to abandon their pressure play and revert back to their original plan of sitting deep and hitting on the counter.

Meanwhile, while the goal frustrates Chelsea, it also serves to galvanize them in their efforts to come forward.

Leaving a little less guard at the back, Eden Hazard, Oscar and Juan Mata come forward and start applying the pressure on Spurs.

The equalizer feels like it's coming, and Mata finally finishes it off. 

The Match Ends in a 1-1 Draw

From the moment Mata's goal hits the back of the net, Chelsea begin to push for the winner while Spurs are left holding on for dear life.

Friedel gets a few nice saves in before all is said and done, and the match ends 1-1.

The finish and result are not exactly what AVB had in mind for his first match against Chelsea.

Conclusion

So there are my thoughts.

What do you think? Just how wrong will I be?

Feel free to leave a comment below!

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