Chelsea look to get back to winning ways against in-form Tottenham Hotspurs on Thursday evening.
After drawing to Southampton in the previous game, Jose Mourinho will be keen to finish off the Christmas Premier League fixtures with a win.
Currently three points ahead of Manchester City, Chelsea will probably need to get a win to maintain the three-point advantage.
Chelsea team news
Mourinho made three changes to the team for the Southampton game but might revert to his original best XI for the London derby.
That would mean a return to the starting line-up for Cesar Azpilicueta, Oscar and Willian, in place of Filipe Luis, John Obi Mikel and Andre Schurrle.
Despite a busy schedule, the Blues have come through it so far without any injuries, so the rest of the team selection should be a simple task for the manager.
Tottenham team news
Tottenham also shared the points in their previous match with a 0-0 draw at home to Manchester United.
The Londoners are in good shape at the moment and have been spurred on by in-form attackers Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen.
Mauricio Pochettino will look to bring back some of the players he rested against Manchester United, with Danny Rose, Erik Lamela and Kyle Walker the likeliest returns to the starting line-up.
Also the quick feet of Aaron Lennon might be in contention for a starting place.
The stats
Chelsea have just won one of their last eight matches at White Hart Lane, with Spurs winning three and four ending in draws.
Didier Drogba usually loves to play Tottenham, as he has four goals and five assists in his last nine matches against the team.
His latest goal against Spurs was in the game in December, when he scored Chelsea’s second goal in a 3-0 win at Stamford Bridge.
Last season’s trip to White Hart Lane ended in a 1-1 draw, but with Chelsea’s New Year’s Day stats, another win could be on the cards.
In fact, Chelsea have won six of their last eight matches on January 1.
We believe it will be a straight-forward win for Chelsea, with a scoreline to celebrate. Our prediction is a 3-0 win with two goals from Diego Costa and one for Cesc Fabregas.
Happy New Year, Blues fans! May 2015 bring a whole lot of success on and off the pitch!
Chelsea Talk