Tottenham welcome London rivals Chelsea to Wembley on Sunday in what will be the first Premier League game played at the famed venue.
As well as being a historic occasion in its own right, the match is a battle between last season's champions and runners-up as they look to assert superiority in the race for the 2017-18 title. Spurs are looking to make it two wins from two, having defeated Newcastle United on the opening weekend, while Chelsea will attempt to bounce back from their embarrassing loss to Burnley.
Crucially, however, it is also a meeting of close rivals, meaning that the game will possess a unique dynamic that is absent from other encounters. Ahead of the game, Goal takes a closer look at the rivalry between Tottenham and Chelsea.
HISTORY
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Tottenham and Chelsea are based in different areas of London so they are not considered immediate local adversaries, even though just over 10 miles separates their stadiums. However, the clubs have, nevertheless, developed an intriguing rivalry through the years.
They have met a total of 158 times in all competitions, with Chelsea comfortably the more successful team having secured 67 wins to Spurs' 51, while they have drawn 40 times.
| Games played | Chelsea wins | Draws | Tottenham wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| 158 | 67 | 40 | 51 |
First meeting
Tottenham and Chelsea first met in a competitive fixture on December 18, 1909 when they faced off in the 1909-10 First Division at Stamford Bridge. The Blues won 2-1 thanks to goals from James Bradshaw and Jimmy Windridge, with William Minter scoring for Spurs.
One game that is said to have particularly intensified the hostility between the London outfits and their fans is the 1967 FA Cup final, which was the first time the famous trophy was contested by two teams from the English capital.
While the rivalry between Tottenham and Chelsea is not quite as rancorous as that between north London foes Spurs and Arsenal, it has become more of a spectacle as both sides find themselves seriously competing for honours.
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Records
In the Premier League, John Terry holds the record for most appearances in the Tottenham-Chelsea derby, having played 26 times for the Blues against Spurs. Out of current players, Eden Hazard, Gary Cahill and Jan Vertonghen have each featured 10 times.
With 10 goals, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has scored the most of any player to feature in the derby, followed by Frank Lampard and Teddy Sheringham, who each scored six times in matches between the teams. Of those still playing, Hazard has scored four times against Tottenham, while Harry Kane has scored three times against Chelsea.
FAMOUS GAMES
Tottenham 2-1 Chelsea (1967 FA Cup final)
The first all-London FA Cup final was won by Tottenham in front of around 100,000 fans at Wembley. Spurs, then managed by the legendary Bill Nicholson, triumphed 2-1 at the national stadium, with goals from Jimmy Robertson and Frank Saul proving enough, as Bobby Tambling scored a late consolation goal for Tommy Docherty's Blues.
Rubbing salt in the Chelsea wounds somewhat, Tottenham boasted two former Blues stars in their ranks for the game, with Jimmy Greaves and Terry Venables winning a trophy they both failed to lift while at Stamford Bridge.
Tottenham starting XI: Jennings, Kinnear, Knowles, Mullery, England, Mackay, Robertson, Greaves, Gilzean, Venables, Saul.
Chelsea starting XI: Bonetti, Harris, McCreadie, Hollins, Hinton, Harris, Cooke, Baldwin, Hateley, Tambling, Boyle.
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Tottenham 1-6 Chelsea (1997-8 Premier League)
Chelsea recorded their biggest win over Tottenham during the reign of Ruud Gullit and, even more frustratingly for Spurs fans, it came at White Hart Lane.
Norwegian striker Tor Andre Flo scored a hat-trick in the rout, with Roberto Di Matteo, Dan Petrescu and Mark Nicholls also getting on the scoresheet. Ramon Vega scored for Spurs just before half-time, but Gullit's men stormed to victory in the second half.
Tottenham starting XI: Walker, Carr, Calderwood, Scales (Allen), Vega, Wilson, Fox, Ginola, Nielsen (Anderton), Sinton (Edinburgh), Ferdinand.
Chelsea starting XI: De Goey, Duberry, LeBoeuf, Sinclair, Petrescu, Babayaro (Nicholls), Le Saux, Di Matteo, Wise, Flo, Zola.
Chelsea 2-0 Tottenham (2015 League Cup final)
The rivalry between Chelsea and Tottenham has become much more pronounced in recent years as the two teams vie for the top prizes in English and European football. In 2015, the sides came up against each other in the final of the League Cup, with the Blues emerging victorious.
John Terry and Diego Costa got the goals for Chelsea as they defeated Mauricio Pochettino's men 2-0 and handed Jose Mourinho his first piece of silverware in his second stint at the helm of the Blues.
Chelsea starting XI: Cech, Zouma, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta, Ivanovic, Fabregas (Oscar), Hazard, Ramires, Willian (Cuadrado), Costa (Drogba).
Tottenham starting XI: Lloris, Walker, Dier, Rose, Vertonghen, Bentaleb, Chadli (Soldado), Eriksen, Mason (Lamela), Townsend (Dembele), Kane
PLAYERS WHO PLAYED FOR CHELSEA & SPURS
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Over the years, a number of high-profile players have featured for both Chelsea and Tottenham, to varying degrees of success. There are some interesting narrative threads running through the careers of certain individuals and Goal has taken a look at five of the most fascinating examples of footballers who lined up in both blue and white.
William Gallas
Former France international William Gallas won two Premier Leagues and a League Cup in five seasons at Chelsea before joining their rivals Arsenal in 2006 as part of a deal to bring Ashley Cole in the opposite direction. After four seasons at Arsenal, Gallas then signed for the Gunners' north London rivals Tottenham, where he spent three seasons and wore the captain's armband, before being released in 2013.
Glenn Hoddle
Not only did Glenn Hoddle play for both Tottenham and Chelsea, the former midfielder also managed both clubs during his career. Considered a Spurs legend, Hoddle spent 12 successful seasons at White Hart Lane, winning two FA Cups and the UEFA Cup before joining Monaco. On his return to England, he served as player-manager at Swindon Town and later assumed the same role at Chelsea in 1993. Stints as manager of England and Southampton followed before Hoddle took the reins at Spurs in 2001. However, he lasted just two seasons at the helm.
Gus Poyet
Gus Poyet enjoyed a successful four years at Chelsea before concluding his career with Tottenham. The former Uruguay international joined the Blues on a free transfer in 1997 and, during his time at Stamford Bridge, he won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, the UEFA Super Cup and the FA Cup. He departed Stamford Bridge in 2001, joining Spurs for a reported fee of £2.2 million but he did not win a trophy at White Hart Lane.
Terry Venables
Terry Venables began his career at Chelsea and won the League Cup with the Blues in 1965 before signing for Tottenham in 1966. The former midfielder spent three seasons in north London and was part of the Spurs team that defeated Chelsea in the 1967 FA Cup final. Venables' time at Tottenham was relatively short, but he returned to manage the club in 1987, having previously managed Barcelona. He spent just over five years at the helm, winning the FA Cup in 1991.
Jimmy Greaves
Like Terry Venables, Jimmy Greaves began his career with Chelsea before moving on to Tottenham. One of the finest goalscorers in the history of English football, Greaves scored on his First Division debut for Chelsea against Spurs. After starring for the Blues, the striker had a brief stint at AC Milan before returning to England to sign for Tottenham in December 1961. Greaves established himself as a hero at White Hart Lane, helping the club to two FA Cups and a Cup Winners' Cup.
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