Written by Shahan Ahmed
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Two Top Teams, One London Derby

Chelsea has won six, drawn one, and lost none in the Premier League this season. The defending European champions are deservedly top of the Premiership table after 7 undefeated rounds. With a four point gap over its closest competition, Chelsea will remain top of England after the weekend regardless of a win, draw or loss at White Hart Lane on Saturday.


AccuScore's computer is picking Tottenham as the most likely winner


After a slow start, Tottenham is only marginally behind its cross-city rival, currently five points off Chelsea’s blistering pace. Spurs only have one loss to their name—an away loss to Newcastle at St. James Park on opening day. After only collecting two points in the first three rounds of the 2012 Premier League campaign, Tottenham went on to win the next four, including a historic 3-2 win at Old Trafford against Manchester United. So, entering Saturday, Tottenham is on a four match Premiership winning streak.

Not to be completely outdone, Chelsea is on a three match winning streak, including an away win at the Emirates against Arsenal. However, a trip to White Hart Lane to face the man Chelsea sacked last season, Andre Villas Boas, promises to be an intriguing fixture.

AVB was sacked in March of this year, and his interim replacement, Roberto Di Matteo, went on to take an ageing Chelsea squad to FA Cup and Champions League glory. With Di Matteo staying on with the Blues, AVB will stand a few feet from his former staff member and face his former team in a London derby involving two of the best form teams in England.


Fernando Torres is Chelsea's Projected Top Scorer


The rather simple reason both teams have enjoyed the early season success is goals. Both Chelsea and Tottenham have found goals from sources that were not trusted to lead the line last season. For Chelsea, Fernando Torres has been firing in the early going, knocking in four goals in 7 domestic appearances. Comparatively, Torres only scored 6 times in 32 Premiership outings last campaign.

For Spurs, Jermaine Defoe also has four goals this season in 7 Premiership appearances. However, Defoe was a much more productive player for Tottenham last season than Torres was for Chelsea. Defoe netted 11 times in 25 appearances last campaign. Even more striking is that 7 of Defoe’s 11 Premiership goals came when the vertically challenged Englishman was selected in the Spurs’ starting 11. Inexplicably, then-manager Harry Redknapp only trusted Defoe from the opening whistle on 11 occasions last season, meaning Defoe scored in 7 goals in 11 starts last year.

This season, Defoe is first choice under AVB, and the 30-year old forward is responding by scoring goals. Defoe will be happy to hear that Chelsea captain John Terry accepted the charge of racism imposed by the FA, and the Chelsea central defender is set to miss this weekend’s London derby. Terry will also miss a trip to Swansea and league and cup matches against Manchester United. Even with Terry out, Chelsea has cover with David Luiz and Gary Cahill in the middle of the defense.


Defoe is Tottenham's top scorer in simulations but Dempsey is close behind


As a reminder, Chelsea played in last year’s Champions League final without Terry, who was suspended for an idiotic knee in the semi-final. Tottenham is far from full strength with Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Younes Kaboul, and Scott Parker missing due to long term injuries. However, Spurs have looked sharp with 20 year-old Steven Caulker and new-signing Jan Vertonghen stepping into the defense. Also, former Fulham teammates Moussa Dembele and Clint Dempsey have transitioned to North London seamlessly, and both are currently first choice for AVB.

Dempsey scored the match winner against Manchester United and is coming off a two-goal performance in World Cup qualifying for the United States. Since arriving, Dempsey has snatched Gylfi Sigurdsson position in the lineup, while Dembele is assuming a deeper role as a replacement for the injured Scott Parker.

With six teams within five points of the top of the Premier League, the English Premier League is off to a competitive and exciting start. On Saturday, the two hottest teams in England will face off in a London derby that promises to provide thrills, drama, and goals.

Projected Lineups:

Tottenham
Lloris, Vertonghen, Caulker, Gallas, Walker, Sandro, Dembele, Bale, Lennon, Dempsey, Defoe

Chelsea
Cech, Cole, Cahill, Luiz, Ivanovic, Ramires, Mikel Obi, Mata, Oscar, Hazard, Torres


The Line% is the probability oddsmakers give each result & the ACC% is the simulation calculation; thus, there is great value on picking Tottenham and a little value on picking the draw

AccuScore has betting analysis and player projections (like the images displayed above) for every match in Europe's top four leagues. If you're not a member, join AccuScore using the coupon code 'football2012' and get 20% off membership. Join TODAY!

For this week's Director's Picks, which are 8-2 the last four weeks, check out the Napoli vs Juventus Preview