Blessing in disguise? Why Emi Martinez’s injury might actually help Chelsea beat Tottenham

After two wins in a row, Chelsea will now be preparing to face rivals Tottenham on Saturday evening. But they will have to do so without Emi Martinez, after he suffered a broken jaw.

Martinez went under the knife on Saturday evening after a collision with Everton star Jarrad Branthwaite. A nasty-looking injury, Martinez was whisked straight to hospital, and scans show he broke his jaw.

A successful operation was performed, but the World Cup winner will now be sidelined for a few weeks. Reports say Martinez is out for 40 days, and Mike Penders will come into the side for the next six games.

Losing Martinez is a blow; there is no doubt about it. He is one of the leaders in this Chelsea side. Even gaffer Xabi Alonso counted the former Arsenal and Aston Villa man in his leadership group recently.

Martinez has been excellent for Chelsea. He tops the Premier League rankings for shots saved per 90 minutes, and he played a key role in Chelsea keeping a clean sheet against Everton before going off.

But Martinez’s record against Tottenham is shocking. He has played against Tottenham 13 times in his career and has lost seven of those matches. He’s only kept one clean sheet in his career against Spurs.

Indeed, Martinez has conceded a whopping 25 goals in those 13 matches. On three occasions, he has conceded four to the London outfit, with all 13 games coming while he was representing Aston Villa.

Despite his record against Spurs, Martinez would obviously be the preferred choice against Spurs. The North London outfit, currently managed by Roberto De Zerbi, remains winless in the Premier League.

Obviously, that could change on Monday night as Spurs host Frank Lampard’s Coventry. Meanwhile, Mike Penders will come in against Tottenham on Saturday evening, and he is yet to face Chelsea’s rivals.

Chelsea will count themselves as favourites against Spurs having moved up to fourth place in the Premier League, and boasting home advantage. But without Martinez and Reece James, key players are missing.

Indeed, six Chelsea players were missing on Saturday. Pep Chavarria remains a doubt, but Malo Gusto should be back from a virus. Emmanuel Emegha and Jamie Gittens will also miss Saturday’s outing.

This article first appeared on The Chelsea Chronicle and was syndicated with permission.

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