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Emma de Duve

Antonio Conte's four Tottenham priorities ahead of Chelsea clash amid Richarlison debate

Antonio Conte's Tottenham side have got off to a flying start. Their 4-1 victory against Southampton has taken them to the top of the league.

The Italian started the game against the Saints without any of his new arrivals, but a number of them featured in the second half. It was clear to see Spurs' improvement, with the quality in the depth of the squad and the cohesive team play.

However, their next match may not be such an easy task. Tottenham face a trip to Stamford Bridge on Sunday, in their first London derby of the season.

READ MORE: The three Tottenham lineup decisions Antonio Conte has to make ahead of Chelsea clash

Spurs last won away against Chelsea in 2018, but before that, it was in 1990. Ahead of the clash, football.london takes a look at Conte's priorities, before the weekend.

Fitness

In the last couple of weeks, the Italian has raised his concerns over both Matt Doherty's and Ivan Perisic's fitness. "At the moment we need to have a bit of patience," he said on the Irishman. "He needs to have a bit of patience but is working very well to be fit quickly."

Niether started the game against the Saints, but both did feature in the second half and every opportunity will help to build their match fitness. Conte this week, will need to continue getting them back to full fitness, as soon as possible.

Oliver Skipp's unfortunate injury will also be something Conte hopes can improve in the coming weeks, to add the 21-year-old to his options in central midfield. The Italian will hope that there are no new injuries amongst the Tottenham squad and he can have as many players fit, as possible.

Selection decisions

Conte will also have some decisions to make regarding his starting line-up. Does he stick with the 11 who beat Southampton? Does he give the new arrivals a chance to start?

There were a number of solid performances against Ralph Hassenhuttl's side, making it difficult to drop certain members of the team. However, the 53-year-old will have to decide if he wants some older and more experienced players in the side, for a London derby.

The likes of Ryan Sessegnon could be swapped out for Ivan Perisic. Matt Doherty could replace Emerson Royal and Yves Bissouma may come in for Rodrigo Bentancur.

However, all three did play well on Saturday and it will be a tough call for Conte to make.

Cool heads

A London derby is always going to be a battle, especially at Stamford Bridge. Everyone wants to see aggression and fight from their side, in a game like this, but no one will want a repeat of 'The Battle of the Bridge' in 2016.

This may be something else Conte considers when deciding on his starting line-up. Players like Richarlison and Cristian Romero are not afraid to put a strong challenge in and show that aggression, but could it also lead to them losing their heads, in a clash like Sunday?

It would be the Brazilian's first Premier League start in a Tottenham shirt, with his ban from last season meaning he was excluded from the first match. There could be pros and cons to having the duo in the starting line-up.

It will be another difficult decision for the Spurs boss to make but he needs to ensure his side doesn't lose their heads, during the game.

Point to prove

The Lilywhites don't necessarily have a point they need to prove, but they could prove their own point, with a win against the Blues. Chelsea are very much in a transitional period currently, with new owners and various new arrivals being slotted into the squad.

Thomas Tuchel's side beat Everton just 1-0 in their first fixture and it wasn't their greatest performance either. Therefore if Tottenham have a chance of beating Chelsea, it is likely to be now.

Spurs have already shown how far they have come, both on and off the pitch but to beat the Blues in an away tie may make people really start to wonder just how well Conte's side can do this season.

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