While other sides close to the top of the table struggled last weekend, Spurs delivered another impressive performance to thrash West Ham United 4-1 and extend the longest unbeaten run in the league.
It was further proof of how strong Mauricio Pochettino’s squad is this season as they closed the gap on the top four to move within four points of surprise leaders Leicester City, and Harry Kane was the leader again with a brace in the London derby.
After passing their latest test in the league, Kane then scored the only goal in the victory over Qarabag FK to secure a spot in the knockout stage of the Europa League to make it nine goals in his last six games.
A tough schedule has left Pochettino frustrated in recent days, as he lamented the fact that his side had to make the six-hour trip to Azerbaijan before facing Chelsea in a 12pm kickoff on Sunday afternoon.
Electing to play the likes of Kane, Christian Eriksen and Eric Dier may have allowed Spurs to secure their progress in Europe, but there is certainly a worry that their key players will still be feeling the effects of their midweek exploits when the game gets underway.
Chelsea remain well short of the form which guided them to the title, but with so much of the season remaining, Mourinho will be hopeful that the battling win against Norwich is at least a sign of his side improving in their bid to climb up the table.
In truth, it will take a big response for Chelsea to stay in the hunt for Champions League qualification and they cannot afford another extended spell of disappointing results if they are to catch the likes of Spurs before May.
Winning just one of their six away games has been one of the big problems, with Chelsea no longer possessing the defensive resilience which was so key to their title success. Mourinho will be hoping that it returns in time to frustrate the league’s in-form side.
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