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This Sunday, on the 1st of April, Tottenham will lock horns with Chelsea. A lot rides on this match that will either seal the top-four race or blow it wide open.
Interestingly, Tottenham have never won a match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge since 1990, and they'll be looking to break the jinx this time.
Chelsea haven't been the most consistent side in the Premier League this season, and currently sit five points adrift of a spot in the top four. They can cut down the deficit to two points if they beat fourth-placed Tottenham.
Here's what we can expect from one of the most anticipated matches of the Premier League.
#1 Harry Kane's availability
When Harry Kane got injured in Tottenham's match against Bournemouth, Spurs and England fans were devastated. Many feared that Harry Kane would miss the remainder of the season and maybe the World Cup in Russia as well.
Luckily, the ankle injury was not serious and Tottenham issued a statement that he would be out for a minimum of 4 weeks. Recently, Mauricio Pocchetino stated in his pre-match conference that Kane could make it into the starting XI as he is recovering well, and the England frontman was added to Spurs' squad to face the Blues.
The England international has scored 35 goals this season, including 24 goals in the Premier League. He has been a nightmare to handle for opposition defenders since the start of 2017, and could well cause a huge impact upfront.
#2 The injury crisis at Chelsea
Antonio Conte has many problems to sort out before the match against Tottenham. Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois didn't play the friendlies with Belgium during the international break. If Courtois fails to make it, Willy Caballero will start the game.
Starting Caballero is a gamble, considering the number of goals he conceded when Argentina played against Spain.
First choice centre-back Andreas Christensen was sent back from the Denmark national team because of muscle fatigue and it is still not clear whether he will play the match. In case of Christensen's absence, Gary Cahill will lead the back three along with Rudiger and Azpilicueta.
David Luiz and Ross Barkley are also injured for the game.
#3 Chelsea's golden chance to qualify for next season's Champions League
The 2017/18 season has been quite disappointing for Chelsea. They are far away from league leaders Manchester City, and look a shadow of the team that lifted the title last year, courtesy of their dismal and inconsistent performances throughout the season.
They were knocked out of the Champions League by Barcelona, with Lionel Messi playing the 'punisher' role in the second leg at Nou Camp.
Except for the FA Cup, Chelsea have no other chance of winning silverware this season. Their race to be in the top four is also in doubt, and the outcome of this match will play a major part in deciding if Chelsea will play in the Champions League next season or not.
#4 Tottenham Hotspur - The Giant Killers?
Tottenham have performed quite well, each time they have been pitted against the Premier League top six. They've defeated Manchester United, Arsenal and Everton twice this season, and had a good run in the Champions League this season, beating Dortmund and Real Madrid during the group stage before being dumped out by Juventus in the round of 16.
They have a fantastic squad that is slowly evolving and maturing into a quality team that could one day challenge at the top.
Even if Harry Kane doesn't play against Chelsea, they have the ever reliant Heung Min Son to deputize in the striker position. With Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen providing ample firepower, and Eric Dier in the midfield, they prove to be quite a good attacking unit.
#5 A rejuvenated Chelsea front three
Alvaro Morata ended his 13-game goal drought with a subtle chip past Kasper Schmeichel, and scored his first goal of 2018, against Leicester City. He has looked sharp of late, clearly benefitting from the competition of recent signing Olivier Giroud. He is high on confidence and would be looking to end the season in the same manner he started it.
Eden Hazard and Willian performed quite well in their respectively international friendlies, with Hazard assisting Lukaku, against Saudi Arabia, and Willian assisting Paulinho and Gabriel Jesus, against Russia and Germany, respectively.
With Pedro and Giroud pressing for a place in the eleven, it would be interesting to see who plays in this most important match.
