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Harry Kane and his Tottenham team-mates are determined to halt Chelsea’s winning streak.
Chelsea’s pursuit of history has made Tottenham doubly determined to defeat them today.
If Chelsea win at White Hart Lane, they will equal the Premier League record of 14 consecutive victories, established by Arsenal from February-August 2002.
Whereas the Gunners’ run spanned two seasons, all Chelsea’s wins have come in the current campaign.
Chelsea’s target adds spice to a derby that is becoming increasingly heated. Before last season’s meeting at Stamford Bridge, Tottenham were angry to hear Eden Hazard say Chelsea wanted Leicester to win the title ahead of Spurs.
That ill-feeling contributed to a stormy 2-2 draw in May, a result that handed Leicester the crown and ended with nine Tottenham players booked. Eight months later, Tottenham are desperate to reduce the 10-point gap to Chelsea, while denying them that 14th victory.
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“We don’t want to be the team who lets them equal that record,” said Kane. “That is in our minds and we were talking about it in the changing room after the Watford game (which Spurs won 4-1 on Sunday), so we are fully focused.
“We are a better team than we were last season, 100 per cent. We have probably not played as well as we did last season, but we still have four more points than we did at the same stage. It shows we are on the right track.
“A lot of us are bigger, stronger, better and more experienced, so hopefully we can continue that form through the second half of the season.”
Tottenham expect to welcome back right-back Kyle Walker and centre-half Jan Vertonghen after both missed the win at Vicarage Road through suspension.
Mousa Dembele is also likely to be restored to the starting XI, while Heung-min Son and Moussa Sissoko are expected to compete for one place in attacking midfield.
Even though Spurs have won their last four matches, defeat to Chelsea would make it extremely difficult to keep alive their title ambitions. However well Mauricio Pochettino’s team play, a 13-point gap may prove too great for them.