The Athletic FC

Welcome to the preview from the Athletic FC.

It's the show where we get you set for the weekend's Premier League action.

The standout fixture this time around is the often goal and card-laden London

Derby between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea.

Joining me today for a preview debut is Jay Harris. How you doing, Jay? I'm all good, thanks. How are you? Yeah, I can't complain. Carl Anker's back with us as well. How are you? I'm doing well. Thanks. How are you? Yeah, I'm all right. I'm all right. I'm slightly trepidacious head of the weekends football, but that is because my team are not doing very well. As well as Saturday's showdown, we're also going to take a look over some of the other key games taking place on match day 10 in the Premier League. But first, let's

get to our feature presentation. Spurs have won just one of their last 13 Premier League games against Chelsea, losing the last four in a row since a 2-0 home win in February 2023. Both sides drank from the Cup of Carabow on Wednesday night. Spurs eliminated by Newcastle in the North East after being so impressive in in the northwest against Everton last weekend.

You can flip that script for Chelsea, you beat Wolves 4-3 at Molyneux in a game which could best be described as ludicrous that following their surrender to Sunderland at Stamford Bridge.

Jay, we'll start with Spurs. Fair to say, your old pal Thomas Frank, still searching for some consistency.

He was looking at the last six

all comps, DWL, DWL. I actually didn't quite realize that. I think just quickly to talk about

what happened in the Carabelle Cup on Wednesday night, it's obviously going to be dominated by

quite a bizarre goal from a corner where Jeff Spence was doing his laces. I think that was probably

the most difficult draw that they could have got against the holders who I think they've not lost a game in the Carabar Cup in 681 days or something ridiculous. But some of their other performances this season, particularly at home, have been a little bit concerning, a little bit frustrating for the fan base. They've only won three of their last 18 home

games across the Thomas Rank and Ange Poster Coglu eras. But I think the main issue with Thomas

Frank at the moment is that he's exceptionally good at coaching a defence. You know, they look so

more solid than compact than they did this time a year ago under Poster Coglu. But then they're not

really blowing teams away. They're struggling a little bit with the chance creation from open play. And so much change has happened at Spurs in terms of the coaching staff, the playing squad and at executive level. It's obviously going to take time for things to settle down. But I guess one thing people need to realize is that Thomas Frank has not had the use of Dominic Selanky, who has been injured for the majority of the season, and I don't think he's going to be back for a couple of weeks, Dei and Kulisiewski and James Madison. So three of his most senior high-profile attacking players are unavailable. So I think it's important to look at their struggles going forward through that prison. Okay. Chelsea wise then, Carl, they were 3-0 up at half time against Wolves. They did all they could to chuck that away. Liam DeLap, back after injury, made up for lost time by getting sent off, as is the style of Chelsea Football Club at the time, six red cards in their last nine games. I wonder if it will cost them over the course of the season. I mean, it's

definitely going to cost them on Saturday, right? Because DeLap would have featured in the game.

Absolutely. It's weird to see a team this moneyed and with such a coach known for structure,

behave in such a bizarre man as the laps sending off was,

why are you making that sort of tackle or fiscal contact when you're already carrying a booking?

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