Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino expects Chelsea recovery

Eric Dier believes Tottenham Hotspur have applied the lesson in ruthlessness they learned from Chelsea in last season’s Capital One Cup final.

Tottenham head coach Mauricio Pochettino expects Chelsea to make a strong recovery after their nightmare start to the Premier League season.

Pochettino has been quietly going about his business this season and Spurs, who have only lost one game this term, are fifth in the table with just four points separating them from league leaders Leicester City. In my first period here we played without a number 10. Spurs’ and England’s and Real Madrid’s Harry Kane put Chelsea to the sword that day with some ridiculously great finishing (plus some very current season-esque Chelsea defending) and he will no doubt look to do the same on Sunday. You play the top teams and if you win you’re a hero.

The Blues have appeared to turn a corner, of sorts, in recent weeks and a comfortable win against Maccabi Tel Aviv on Tuesday will have boosted the west Londoners’ fragile confidence.

Spurs have finished above the Blues just once in the last 20 years – when they made it into the top four in 2011-12 but were denied their Champions League place courtesy of Chelsea winning the competition.

“I am happy that a big club want our players – this is because they show they are a top player with top performances”.

Chelsea have come away as victors against Tottenham in 25 of their 46 Premier League meetings, with 10 wins in the 23 encounters at The Lane. “When I was in a team whose objectives were not to be relegated, in December we were third and it was fantastic”.

“They have good conditions to do a very good work”.

“It seems very tough but when you go on the pitch on Sunday at 12pm you have to do it”, he said.

Kane has now scored nine goals in his last six matches, and defender Jan Vertonghen said: “He’s doing very well”. “We are not speaking about players and about spending”.

“The team is really good, they keep the players they want to keep and I think they bring the right players in”, said Mourinho.

For the likes of Christian Eriksen and Harry Kane, the games are coming thick and fast, and boss Pochettino will be hopeful that they aren’t lacking in energy.