Chelsea's visit to Spurs is AVB's first big test

This weekend's standout fixture is the meeting of two former colleagues as Jose Mourinho's Chelsea jump across town to north London to pay a visit to his former protege Andre Villas-Boas as they take on a Bale-less Tottenham Hotspur.

Spurs may well be Bale-less, but they have reinvested smartly and brought in a host of decent signings over the summer, totalling up to the number of around £110 million. That's right; Tottenham Hotspur have splashed out £110 million this past summer. Incredible. 

With all the new signings you might expect a few bumps in the road as Villas Boas tries to integrate several new players into his squad but apart from a 1-0 loss to Arsenal, Spurs have been a roll. They sit second in the table behind Arsenal only on goal difference and bar that north London derby loss they have kept clean sheets in their other four league games.

That is pretty bloody good form by anyone's standards and those Spurs fans are getting themselves all excited about their prospects this season. The visit of Chelsea, though, will be a stern test of their credentials in what is shaping up to be one of the most open title races in recent memory. 

Ah yes, the much maligned Jose Mourinho brings his troops to White Hart Line with something to prove to his critics. The vitriol that has been directed at the Portuguese by his own fans is remarkable and before their victory against Fulham last weekend some were ready to brand Chelsea's poor form as a crisis.

A ridiculous notion considering we are only 5 games in and Chelsea sit fourth in the table and only two points off the pace, but this is the fickleness of football fans these days and, as always, some perspective is needed when making such accusations.

Anyway, this will be an intriguing match up and Villas Boas has sometimes been a little cautious in these 'big' games,  not wanting to get his fingers burnt. Given the attacking talents at his disposal, though, it may be advisable that he throws caution to the wind (cliche overload!) especially with his team's new found defensive stability.

Undoubtedly, Mourinho, master tactician that he is, will have a little trick up his sleeve for Villas Boas, even is he does set up without a striker.

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