"They were more a team. They were, especially physically, quicker and stronger and better in transitions."
Stronger and better in transition are terms of praise often reserved for Chelsea at their best. But the quote above is from West Ham manager Slaven Bilic after his team were blown away by Tottenham last Sunday.
That 4-1 victory at White Hart Lane was the most impressive performance of a Spurs side that are unbeaten since the start of the season and gathering plenty of steam as they reach the edges of the Top Four.
And this Sunday, Mauricio Pochettino's team will get a real test of their mettle against a desperate Chelsea and one would have to imagine that the reigning champions' Champions League hopes for next season are over - unless they win this year's competition.
Given that the west London club were in Israel on Wednesday, it does not give them a huge advantage over Spurs, who were in Azerbaijan - and won - on Thursday, in the tiredness stakes.
Harry Kane was on the scoresheet against Qarabag and Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho will be well aware of Spurs' attacking threat after last season's 5-3 loss last December in which Kane scored twice.
By the time both sides faced each other again in March's Capital One Cup final, Mourinho's team had become more defensive and cautious, winning that game 2-0 and given the side they are facing on Sunday and the need for a win, it is the perfect excuse for the Chelsea boss to use his favoured approach and sit back to try and hit Tottenham on the break.
Looking at Spurs' recent performances and the physical size of their players down the spine of the team, Chelsea will not out-muscle them in midfield, nor will they out-pace them and assuming Tottenham are somewhere close to their best when it comes to pressing, the Blues will not out-fight them which makes it more necessary for Mourinho to try and make the game as cagey as possible to prevent Spurs' ability to break.
Mourinho will have noted that Spurs have scored the most set piece goals in the Premier League with eight, with only two of those from direct free kicks.
Indeed last week, centre-back Toby Alderweireld showed excellent movement to head in against West Ham, while Chelsea have conceded the joint-most headed goals with six - something Pochettino will have marked down in his notepad or tablet (we can assume the latter does get some mileage in the wealthy Premier League).
Set pieces are the likely point where Spurs' headed chances will come from as they are among the sides who put in the least crosses per game in the top flight - Kane has no headed goals in the Premier League this season, although about a quarter of last season's 21 goals came via his ceann as gaeilge.
Crucial to Spurs will be the support they give Kane centrally from midfield. With Chelsea likely to keep him under tight guard with whichever centre-back partnership is chosen, it is vital that Heung-Min Son (if he starts) gets into positions between their rivals' defence and midfield, especially if Mourinho were to risk playing Cesc Fabregas alongside Nemanja Matic. Dele Alli, meanwhile, could also be the more box-to-box mover if he starts and can combine with Son and Christian Eriksen.
As shown on Match of the Day 2 last Sunday by Trevor Sinclair, Son took up some excellent positions across the span of the West Ham box and if the attack-minded Fabregas is among those who will have to track him, then Spurs could gain an advantage.
This Squawka.com graphic shows where Son creates his chances against West Ham
As for Chelsea, ex-Blues and Ireland defender Paddy Mulligan pointed out that Diego Costa is not making the runs he used to make which could lead to tap-ins and that is borne out in the stats as Chelsea are bottom of the Premier League for shots taken in the six-yard box on 2 per cent, well below the 10 per cent mark of Manchester City for example.
So, Tottenham could sit deeper and hope that Costa's midweek kissing and cuddling with Mourinho has not re-ignited his predatory instincts inside the area.
Spurs holding midfielder Eric Dier, as shown before the North London derby often makes his tackles out-wide which should see him helping to close down Eden Hazard and he will need the aid of a resurgent Moussa Dembele beside him to patrol the space in front of his defence.
Based on the likely approaches, the game is likely to be extremely tight and I'm hardly sticking my neck out when I predict a 1-1 draw.
Tottenham v Chelsea is live on Off The Ball this Sunday with kick-off at 12.00pm with commentary and analysis from Dave McIntyre and Gary Breen.
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