Premier League Preview: Chelsea v Tottenham

Sunday, kick-off 3.30pm

Celebrity predictions from The New Football Pools' pundits:

John Barnes : Home win. Tony Cascarino : Home win. Graham Poll : Home win.

Team news:

Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari is monitoring the fitness of midfield duo Michael Ballack and Michael Essien. The pair have been playing with knocks and the Brazilian hinted that Ballack was most likely to miss the derby clash. Striker Didier Drogba remains unavailable because of a knee injury but has been pencilled in for a return for the Manchester City game next month.

Tottenham full-back Alan Hutton is still out with a stress fracture of his right foot. Head coach Juande Ramos will talk to Dimitar Berbatov, who has handed in a transfer request, before deciding whether the striker will play. Ramos has no other fresh injury worries as Spurs look for their first points of the season.

Stats:

Last season: Tottenham 4 Chelsea 4, Chelsea 2 Tottenham 0

Last five league matches: Chelsea W W D W W; Tottenham D W L L L

Top scorers: Deco (Chelsea) 2; Jermaine Jenas (Tottenham) 1

Match odds: H 2-5 A 15-2 D 10-3

Referee: Howard Webb (S Yorkshire)

Match facts from Opta:

Spurs have failed to beat Chelsea in their last 21 meetings in all competitions at Stamford Bridge, losing 14 of those.

Chelsea are unbeaten in their last 83 Premier League games at Stamford Bridge.

Spurs have scored a total of only four goals in their last 11 Premier League visits to Stamford Bridge.

Spurs have won none of their last 59 Premier League visits to the so-called Big Four - Liverpool, Man Utd, Arsenal and Chelsea - since beating Liverpool in August 1993.

Spurs have never lost their opening three games in a Premier League campaign - the last time it occurred was in the old English Division One in 1979-80.

Chelsea have conceded just three goals in their last nine Premier League games.

The Blues have only kept two clean sheets in their last seven Premier League outings at Stamford Bridge.

This will be the fourth meeting between the two sides in 2008 - Chelsea won 2-0 at home in January, Tottenham triumphed in the 2008 Carling Cup final 2-1 after extra time and the last time these two sides met ended in a 4-4 draw at White Hart Lane.

Only two of Chelsea's last 15 Premier League goals have been scored by strikers.

Petr Cech has made more saves than any other goalkeeper this season (9).

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