The mood in the respective camps of Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea could hardly be more contrasting heading into the London derby on Thursday.
For Tottenham, the pressure is ramping up on Jose Mourinho, who without talisman Harry Kane will hope to inspire his side to bounce back against the Blues following dreadful performances in the back-to-back defeats by Brighton and Liverpool.
Meanwhile, Chelsea are up and running under new boss Thomas Tuchel after their recent win over Burnley and the new manager hopes to win over supporters with a derby victory over their fierce rivals.
But who has the stronger team? Sportsmail has put together a combined best XI of the players available for Thursday night's clash at White Hart Lane.
GOALKEEPER: Hugo Lloris (Tottenham)
No doubt the composed Edouard Mendy has proven himself as the No 1 at Chelsea to displace the more erratic Kepa Arrizabalaga - indeed he even has nine clean sheets this season. But Lloris's Premier League experience goes back nearly nine years and only Manchester City have conceded fewer goals than Spurs' 21. That is more down to the Spurs goalkeeper than the still shaky-looking defence in front of him that continues to cause a concern for manager Jose Mourinho.
RIGHT BACK: Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea)
The Chelsea captain is more likely to play a central role on Thursday but here he slots in at full-back where he has proven comfortable in the past. Perhaps more importantly he is in form, having scored last time out against Burnley, and there is little competition from the Spurs crop. Serge Aurier appears out of contention after storming out at half-time in the Liverpool defeat, while Matt Doherty is yet to convince following his summer arrival from Wolverhampton Wanderers.
CENTRE BACK: Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham)
He's not quite the force he was from three or four years ago when he was considered one of the Premier League's leading centre backs, but the 31-year-old remains arguably the best Spurs have to offer. Part of his gradual decline in the last few seasons appears to be not having a reliable defensive partner to play alongside following the departure of Jan Vertonghen after his more rapid downturn in form.
CENTRE BACK: Thiago Silva (Chelsea)
Thiago Silva's quality has never been in doubt but after joining Chelsea on a free in the summer from Paris Saint-Germain there were concerns over whether the 36-year-old had left it too late to come to the Premier League. With over half the season gone, the legs are still going strong and he is likely to be key to preventing Tottenham's counter attack exploiting any space in the centre of the park.
LEFT BACK: Marcos Alonso (Chelsea)
Completely frozen out under Frank Lampard and seemingly heading for a Stamford Bridge exit, the full back is immediately back in the first team following the arrival of Tuchel. He is showing no rustiness either, netting a superb volley in the win over Burnley. He has previous when it comes to finding the net against Spurs, and with the hosts without the injured Sergio Reguilon, he's an easy pick here.
Holding midfield: N'Golo Kante (Chelsea)
Injury has prevented us seeing how Kante fares in Tuchel's system but he has been key to three previous regimes at Stamford Bridge and he is likely to prove just as important as the terrier in the German's midfield. Tottenham have very strong competition in Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who has impressed this term, but Kante's overall influence gives him the nod over one of Mourinho's star summer arrivals.
Deep-lying playmaker: Tanguy Ndombele (Tottenham)
A transformed player this season after a very poor first year at White Hart Lane. Fitness concerns might mean he misses out on Thursday but he could yet feature and if he does he will be vital to how Tottenham use the ball in attack. Ndombele's strength on the ball and passing range make him a key element to how Spurs can damage Chelsea, with only his ability to maintain the standards over 90 minutes due to overall fitness limiting his effectiveness.
Attacking midfielder: Mason Mount (Chelsea)
A testament to how well Mount has performed this season is that he has managed to see off the more fashionable £89million summer signing Kai Havertz, who had been expected to replace the England international. Mount has taken his game to a new level this term though, and has arguably been the Blues' best player.
Forward: Son Heung-min (Tottenham)
One of the stars of the season so far in the Premier League, let alone Tottenham's attack. Spurs are going to need that quality too because without the injured Harry Kane they have precious little threat to offer in front of goal. Son has proven many times in the past he doesn't need Kane to take on the attacking responsibilities but will he be marked out of the game on Thursday?
Striker: Tammy Abraham (Chelsea)
Abraham may be without a Premier League goal since Boxing Day but he would still walk straight into Tottenham's team right now. He appears to have won over Tuchel too after being recalled to the side that defeated Burnley, having been left out at the expense of Olivier Giroud for the German's first match in charge against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Forward: Timo Werner (Chelsea)
Granted, Werner has not scored a Premier League goal in nearly three months, but when you exclude Son and the injured Kane, there are shamefully no Tottenham alternatives with a better record. Steven Bergwijn is always lively but has not scored a single goal this season, and the anaemic form of Gareth Bale remains perplexing. Besides, while Werner is still finding his feet in the Premier League, he does have form against Spurs, having scored twice in his last four appearances against them including in the London derby at White Hart Lane earlier this season in the Carabao Cup.
