Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Football London
Football London
Sport
Emma de Duve

Eric Dier returns, team spirit high: Things noticed from Tottenham training ahead of Chelsea

Antonio Conte has been preparing his side for their third tie against Chelsea this month and their second trip to Stamford Bridge in just a few weeks.

The two previous matches between the London rivals this month have both ended in defeats for Tottenham, as the Blues knocked them out of the Carabao Cup.

The first leg of the semi-final saw a poor performance displayed from the Lilywhites, as they lost 2-0 to Thomas Tuchel's side and although there were signs of slight improvement in the second leg, Tottenham lost 1-0.

However since then, Chelsea have lost to Man City and drawn to Brighton, whereas the Lilywhites are going into the game on the back of a thrilling comeback victory against Leicester on Wednesday.

Both managers spoke to the press in their pre-match press conferences on Friday, as they prepare for Sunday's tie.

"They know what we do, and we know what they do," Tuchel explained after player Spurs twice very recently.

"Things are clear. We managed to beat them twice and we will do everything to beat them a third time.

"We know very well that we are going to play against a really strong team," Conte admitted.

"Don’t forget Chelsea won the Champions League, now they’re in the final of the Carabao Cup, so we’re talking about a really good team. I don’t know if this is the right moment.

"We have our problems with many injuries but for sure we want to try to give our best against Chelsea.

"They have beaten us in the last two games and we have to try to learn something about the past to try to improve to try and give our best."

As preparations continue for the two sides, football.london takes a look at things spotted during Spurs' training session, ahead of Sunday's match.

Team spirit continues

Steven Bergwijn was the substitute at the King Power Stadium that played the biggest part in Tottenham's turnaround, scoring both the equalising and winning goals for his side.

Scoring in the 95th and 97th minute wasn't something anyone expected, but it got the Lilywhites some much needed points on the table, in their battle for a top four spot.

When the final whistle went, celebrations began with most of the team running over to the travelling fans to enjoy the moment with them, whilst Conte, his coaching staff and the players on the bench all began their celebrations in the dugout.

This will have given the north London side a boost in morale and some momentum going into Sunday's game and this was seen during training, ahead of the match.

As Conte's players came out to train they did their usual warm-up and passing drills and there were smiles on the faces of many of them throughout.

Davinson Sanchez, Giovani Lo Celso, Eric Dier, Steven Bergwijn, Bryan Gil, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Cristian Romero in Tottenham's training session ahead of Chelsea tie. (Photo by Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images)

The group picture shows Davinson Sanchez, Giovani Lo Celso, Eric Dier, Bergwijn, Bryan Gil, Pierre Emile Hojbjerg and Cristian Romero in a group celebrating after the passing exercise and they will hope this will be their reaction after 90 minutes at Stamford Bridge.

Players return

As with many teams, Spurs have struggled with injuries in the last few weeks, with key players in Romero, Dier and Heung-min Son all being unavailable.

Out of the trio, only Son played in the first semi final leg against Tuchel's side and all three were absent for the second.

However, both the Argentine and Dier have returned to training and the Englishman is available for the trip to Stamford Bridge, as Conte gave an update on injuries when speaking to the media.

"After the game against Leicester we are trying to manage a couple of situations with fresh injuries," the Italian said, although he wouldn't give details of the players effected. "For sure we have tomorrow to make the right decision about a couple of our players.

"Eric Dier today had a good training session with us and is available. Sonny not yet, we have to wait but he’s recovering very well. We have to wait until after the international break.

"Cristian Romero, I am pleased because I am seeing now he is almost 100 per cent fit and he is very very close to coming back and for sure after the international break he is available to play and help us."

Assuming he is fit enough, it is likely Dier will return to the starting line-up and this will be a positive lift for Spurs, whose defence has looked slightly shaky without him.

Bowden features amongst academy players

Last week football.london reported that Jamie Bowden had been recalled from his loan spell at Oldham, after registering five assists in 25 appearances for the League One side.

Oldham confirmed that the youngster is expected to be loaned out again, for the rest of the season, to a team in a higher division.

For now, the 20-year-old is still in the capital and was one of a few youngsters involved in first team training.

Although the academy starlets haven't featured in many games under Conte, a number of them are regularly training with the first team with Harvey White, Dane Scarlett and Marqes Muir all spotted during the session at Hotspur Way.

The Spurs boss will be hoping his players can make the short trip to face Chelsea and provide an improved performance, to get their first win in three London derbies this month.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.