Tottenham will have an opportunity to display their title credentials when they host London rivals Chelsea on September 28.
The men from White Hart Lane failed their first serious examination of 2013-14 at neighbours Arsenal. Another defeat to one of the big boys would seriously damage self-belief in the Spurs camp.
While Tottenham are not one of the leading contenders for the Premier League crown (BetVictor has them at 20/1), they enjoyed an excellent summer in the transfer window and have the ability to stay with the big four. However, a Champions League place is a more realistic goal.
The same cannot be said of Chelsea. They are 9/4 second favourites for the title with BetVictor and it is not difficult to see why (odds subject to change).
Jose Mourinho inherited a strong squad and has strengthened it further with the signings of Andre Schurrle, Willian and Samuel Eto’o, with Kevin De Bruyne also enjoying his first proper season at the club. The Blues are arguably the team to beat this term.
Chelsea have already picked up a point at Old Trafford and travel to Everton on Saturday before a trip to north London at the end of the month. They will feel pretty satisfied if they come through those fixtures unscathed.
The game against Spurs should be an exciting one for the neutral football fan. Both sides have attacking talent in abundance and will create plenty of chances. It will come down to which defence copes best.
The corresponding fixture last season finished 4-2 to Chelsea, with Juan Mata the star of the show with a brace. The Spaniard has been surprisingly out of favour early on but will surely have a major role to play as the campaign goes on.
It is a tough match to call but home advantage gives Spurs the edge. The likes of Roberto Soldado, Erik Lamela and Christian Eriksen have a great chance to show the fans and the rest of the Premier League what they are all about at the start of an exciting season for new-look Spurs.