Andre Villas-Boas
Reuters

Andre Villas-Boas will take on former mentor Jose Mourinho for the first time, when Tottenham Hotspur host London rivals Chelsea at White Hart Lane in the Premier League on Saturday.

Where to Watch Live

Kick-off is set for 12.45pm BST, with BT Sport 1, BT Sport 1HD and BBC Radio 5 Live providing live coverage in the UK. Watch the highlights of the game on Match of the Day on BBC One and BBC One HD at 10.30pm.

Overview

Spurs have got off to a fantastic start this season, with eight wins - and eight clean sheets - from their nine matches in all competitions so far. The north London outfit is now level on points with arch-rivals Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table. Villas-Boas' men also started their League Cup campaign on a positive note, beating Aston Villa 4-0 at Villa Park in midweek.

Meanwhile, Chelsea, who were touted as this year's title favourites, are yet to impress this season and are currently fourth in the league table. The Blues also lost a Champions League match at Stamford Bridge for the first time in nearly 10 years, when they were beaten 2-1 by Swiss side Basel a week ago.

Mourinho's men had also lost the Super Cup to Bayern Munich on penalties before the international break and were beaten 1-0 by Everton at Goodison Park soon after. However, they have now bounced back from a three-match losing streak with 2-0 wins over cross-town rivals Fulham in the Premier League and third-tier side Swindon Town in the League Cup.

Jose Mourinho
Reuters

AVB-Mourinho

Villas-Boas spent several years working alongside Mourinho at Chelsea and Inter Milan but there was a breakdown in their friendship, once he looked to forge a coaching career of his own. The 35-year-old will be determined to prove a point when he squares off against his former boss for the first time on Saturday.

Adding extra spice to the affair is Villas-Boas' stint as the Blues manager during the 2011-12 season, which came to an abrupt and unceremonious end when he was sacked by Roman Abramovich after just nine months, following some poor results.

What Managers Say

Villas-Boas: "I don't think we need explanations. But our relationship broke down. I think we have the mutual respect for each other and we understand what we have been through cannot just disappear, but it's not like it was before."

Mourinho: "I don't care what he says. I'm not here to do that. I'm not interested. I have had so many assistants in my career. I was always an open book to them and with the coaches in the academy."

Form Guide

Tottenham

    • Last Five Games: (most recent first): W W W W L
    • Last Match: Aston Villa 0 - 4 Tottenham Hotspur

Chelsea

    • Last Five Games: (most recent first): W W L L L
    • Last Match: Swindon Town 0 - 2 Chelsea

Team News

Tottenham

    • Injured: Capoue (ankle), Adebayor (illness)
    • Doubtful: Rose (toe), Lennon (foot), Kaboul (groin)
    • Suspended/Ineligible: N/A

Probable Line-up (4-2-3-1): Lloris; Walker, Dawson, Vertonghen, Rose; Paulinho, Dembele; Townsend, Eriksen, Sigurdsson; Soldado

Chelsea

    • Injured: van Ginkel (knee), Kalas (leg)
    • Doubtful: Ramires (hip)
    • Suspended/Ineligible: N/A

Probable Line-up (4-2-3-1): Cech; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Cole; Ramires, Lampard; Hazard, Oscar, Schurrle; Eto'o

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