When Chelsea visit White Hart Lane to take on Tottenham Hotspur in Saturday's early kickoff, it will not be just another London Derby among a plethora of those that exist in the English Premier League. It will be much much more. It will be about making a statement for individuals from either side.
Andre Villas-Boas had a painful time at Stamford Bridge, and this time last season a Chelsea vs Spurs game would have seen the young Portuguese manager sitting on the visiting team's dugout rather than the home side's. How quickly things can change in the Premier League though.
Now he will be up against the side he managed for a few months, and will be desperate to show them what might have been, by demanding a one-for-the-books performance from his talented Spurs side.
The senior players at Stamford Bridge, on the other hand, will want to show the mistake made by Villas-Boas in alienating them and trying to slowly push them out of the side - however noble it might have seen at the time. Some will suggest, the likes of Frank Lampard and John Terry have already shown their true worth by helping the Blues to Champions League and FA Cup success after Villas-Boas' departure, and a win at the manager's new side will be the perfect icing on the cake.
"I'm going to see people who mean a lot to me, people who are part of my development as a coach," Villas-Boas said. "I certainly feel I have become a better coach because of them. They have helped me a lot on my development of career.
"People who gave everything for me, obviously it is special to encounter any team you have played or belonged in the past."
However, Roberto Di Matteo - Villas-Boas' assistant before taking over after the former's firing - will be mindful of all the undercurrents that surround the big game of this weekend and will want his players to keep their calm and continue their momentum, having dropped just two points in the Premier League all season.
Chelsea have a newer and more younger look to them this season, ironically exactly the future Villas-Boas had planned for the Blues during his time with the club. While Di Matteo is still to get his side functioning in the ideal fluent way that everyone expects with the amount of attacking options at his disposal, he wil no doubt expect another solid performance from his defenders, which has been the recipe of their success.
Di Matteo will be without Terry for the next four matches, starting with the one at White Hart Lane, which means Gary Cahill should come in to partner David Luiz in the center of defense. Lampard remains a doubt, and it will be interesting to see whether he will be passed fit for the game, seeing his tumultuous relationship with Villas-Boas.
Spurs are coming on the back of a good run after a stuttering start, and are five points behind league leaders Chelsea, who have 19 points from seven games.
Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Younes Kaboul and Scott Parker remain ruled out, but youngsters Jake Livermore and Kyle Naughton are available. Villas-Boas is expected to recall Brad Friedel back to the lineup, after ending his run of 310 consecutive Premier League games, by giving the nod to Hugo Lloris in their last game against Aston Villa.
The game is sure to be a battle of the playmakers, with the likes of Gareth Bale, Aaron Lennon and Moussa Dembele on one side and Eden Hazard, Oscar and Juan Mata on the other. The winner of that battle, might just win the game, in what promises to be an open end-to-end match, similar to the one Spurs played against Manchester United.
Expected lineups: Tottenham: Friedel, Vertonghen, Caulker, Gallas, Walker, Sandro, Dembele, Bale, Lennon, Dempsey, Defoe.
Chelsea: Cech, Cole, Cahill, Luiz, Ivanovic, Mikel, Ramires, Hazard, Oscar, Mata, Torres.
Prediction: An entertaining 2-2 draw.
