Football

Jose Mourinho predicts how Chelsea will line up against Tottenham


Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham side are hunting down Chelsea in fourth place (Picture: Getty)

Jose Mourinho believes Frank Lampard will replicate the tactics which saw Chelsea take the spoils following their 2-0 win over Spurs in December.

A first half double from Willian helped the Blues record arguably their most impressive result of the domestic season so far and appeared to have put them well on the way to securing fourth place.

Chelsea’s form has deteriorated since then, however, and just a single point now separates the London rivals ahead of Saturday’s eagerly anticipated derby at Stamford Bridge.

Both teams have a raft of injuries to content with but, despite his ever dwindling options, Mourinho believes his former charge Lampard will again employ a five-man defence which worked so effectively two months ago.

‘They’ll play three at the back like in December,’ replied Mourinho when asked how he envisaged Lampard, who will be able to call upon masked man Andreas Christensen, setting up his team.

Willian scored twice when Chelsea beat Tottenham 2-0 back in December (Picture: Getty)

Lampard, however, attempted to keep his former boss guessing, saying: ‘It was pleasing on the day. And the way the players implement it. This is the best league in the world. You always try to prepare. Every game is different.

‘It’s a different game to the one we took on at Tottenham. It doesn’t mean that we can just play the same way.’

With one win from their last five matches, Lampard is currently enduring the most testing period of his managerial career to date but he denied failing to make the top four would represent failure, while he has been pleased with the reaction of his squad to recent results.

‘That is for everyone else to judge,’ he said when asked what success would represent. ‘The injuries have been a big issue.

‘What we do know is we are in fourth and we have it in our hands. It is going to be tough. Teams around us are strong.

‘We know we need to work and keep working. Every team will have had difficult moments. That is when you show what you are made of.’

MORE: Willian heaps praise on Jose Mourinho and drops hint over Chelsea future

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