Do out-of-sorts Spurs stand a chance at high-flying Chelsea?

League leaders Chelsea will be hoping to maintain their sensational form on Saturday as they face Spurs in what must be considered the Premier League game of the weekend.

Chelsea's rise to the summit has been as impressive as it has been unexpected. Written off in some quarters after defeats to Liverpool and Arsenal in September, manager Antonio Conte responded by switching to a 3-4-3 formation after which has resulted in them winning six games in a row without conceding a goal.

Having seen off Manchester United, Leicester and Everton during that run, the Blues face another stern test against Tottenham Hotspur, who, despite a disappointing Champions League exit, remain the only unbeaten team in the English league, even if they have only won one of the past five games.

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There are other reasons Chelsea will consider themselves favourites to win - or at the very least emerge with a share of the spoils.

"If there was one fixture Tottenham could do without, having been knocked out of the Champions League and winning only one match in their last nine, it would be Chelsea at Stamford Bridge," says Goal.com.

Of their past 25 visits to Chelsea, Spurs have lost 17 and drawn eight. Last season, they blew a two-goal lead, torpedoing their hopes of winning the title.

"Tottenham's last victory at Stamford Bridge was in 1990, when Gary Lineker was their goal-scoring hero and the Premier League did not even exist," says the Daily Telegraph. "Nor, in fact, did 17 of the 23 players that have appeared for Spurs this season: just six of them had been born last time Tottenham won at Stamford Bridge."

One of those six is Toby Alderweireld, who will be missing on Saturday after failing to overcome a knee injury. With Danny Rose also suspended, "the puzzle for Pochettino is who should play at left back with Ben Davies also sidelined", says the London Evening Standard.

It could mean a strange-looking rearguard for Spurs. "Jan Vertonghen was rested in midweek and could play at full back, with Eric Dier and Kevin Wimmer operating in the centre", adds the paper.

That might work against some teams, but the new-look defensive set up will have its work cut out against Chelsea.

Striker Diego Costa in particular appears rejuvenated, says Jonathan Wilson in The Guardian, and his return to form "seems symptomatic of [Chelsea's] new mood of purpose and confidence".

The journalist adds: "Whether it's to do with the shape, Conte's personality, or both, there has been a greater sense of integration and Costa is central to that, being what Conte calls his point of reference.

"Eden Hazard and Pedro can float in those awkward inside-forward positions in part because of Costa’s role in occupying defenders in front of them."

It is working well for the Blues. "Chelsea are working hard to a man, playing innovative football under a coach whose demands are exacting and getting their rewards," says Goal.com. "Last season those descriptions would have been appropriate for Mauricio Pochettino's team, and indeed for the early part of this one, but something has happened to Spurs that defies plain explanation.

"There is a lack of clarity in what Pochettino is asking from his men as evidenced by a string of formation changes in the past few weeks. There would appear to be a problem in coaxing the same sort of aggression and effort that carried them so far last season too."

It is no surprise, then, that most pundits expect Chelsea to continue their winning run. "It is hard not to go with Chelsea at the moment. They are top of the Premier League, and flying," says Mark Lawrenson of the BBC.

Paul Merson of Sky Sports agrees. "Tottenham are going to try and play the way that Chelsea play and I don't think it will work," he says.