Alonso Urges Emotional Control Ahead of Tottenham Derby

Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso has called on his players to show "good emotional control" and not get carried away by the atmosphere when they host Tottenham in a crucial Premier League derby.

After an inconsistent run before the international break, Chelsea have shown signs of recovery by winning both of their 2 matches since the break. Fourth in the Premier League, the Blues are aiming for 3 consecutive league wins for the first time since a 4-match run in January and February.

Recent form against Tottenham also favours Chelsea. The Blues have won each of their last 6 league meetings with the north London club, equalling their longest league winning run against them.

Tottenham, meanwhile, have won just 1 of their last 36 league visits to Stamford Bridge (drawing 11 and losing 24), and have collected only 2 points there since that 3-1 victory in the 2017-18 season.

Alonso, who will experience the rivalry for the first time, shared his excitement ahead of the game:

"Every derby is special; you feel the energy and the excitement in the stands. We have to use that energy in our favour on the pitch and make the right connections. At the same time, we need to show good emotional control, because there will be a lot of passion and commitment on both sides. What we want is to play football with our hearts.

"I am aware of the 6-match winning run, but this is a completely new game. We have to prove once again that we can keep this run going. Knowing that this is a special match, we must play with our hearts, our heads and our intelligence."

Chelsea kept a clean sheet for the first time in 23 league matches when they beat Everton last time out. However, the Blues have not managed to keep clean sheets in 2 consecutive matches since December of last season.

With Emiliano Martínez injured after being stretchered off in the last match, Mike Penders will start in goal for the Tottenham derby.

Asked about Penders, Alonso said: "He is ready for the job. He is training very well and has shown he is at a good level in the cup matches he has played. Even in the few minutes he got against Everton, he showed his character and his qualities. We built our squad precisely for situations like this, and we have full confidence that Mike will play very well. By bringing Emi into the squad in the summer transfer window, we wanted to have the best options. Mike is a goalkeeper for today and for the future, and he is learning a lot from an experienced player like Emi. We are happy with him, and he is fully ready."