Chelsea Must Show Against Tottenham Hotspur That They're Not Flat-Track Bullies

Two wins, two clean sheets, top of their Champions League group and (marginally) climbing the Premier League table—it’s been a good week or so for Chelsea.

The doom and gloom is showing signs of finally lifting. Now the Blues must do it all again when they face Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday to prove this isn’t another false dawn in a campaign of frustration.

Chelsea were fluid and dominant against Maccabi Tel Aviv on Tuesday night as they crushed the Israeli side in a 4-0 win.

There were some moments when they looked fragile and exposed, but like they did against Norwich City at the weekend, Jose Mourinho’s men showed a bit more guile than we have seen this term.

On the surface, it’s encouraging. But the concern is that it’s merely continuing a trend.

Chelsea have won just eight of their 20 matches in all competitions this season, losing the same number.

Each of those victories has come against teams they have been expected to beat. West Bromwich Albion, Maccabi Tel Aviv (twice), Arsenal, Walsall, Aston Villa, Dynamo Kiev and Norwich have all fallen to Mourinho’s side.

In the bigger games and at the biggest moments, Chelsea have failed. They crumbled against Manchester City in early August and repeated that against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge last month.

After suffering three Premier League defeats on the bounce, the positive results of the past week have shown signs of life.

Facing an in-form Spurs is the barometer for just where this team actually is. Lose at White Hart Lane and everything since the international break will have been worthless.

Up to now, Chelsea have been flat-track bullies at home and abroad. When it suits them, they will dominate lesser opponents like they did Tel Aviv, yet they have met their match and floundered too often.

For a Mourinho team, that’s not good enough. For reigning Premier League champions, even less so.

The same traits from the Norwich victory were on display inside the Sammy Ofer Stadium. Chelsea pressed high up the pitch, turned over possession in the right areas and punished their opponents when it mattered.

They were lethal from set pieces—three of their goals on the night came from two corners and a free-kick—and with a little fine tuning, they would have scored more from open play.

It’s there where the encouraging signs are. When Chelsea lost 1-0 to Stoke City a fortnight ago, they created enough opportunities to have won that game a few times over.

They were firing blanks in front of goal, but it didn’t matter. Where this team is right now, they needed to show some signs of life. And defeat or not, that Stoke loss eased Chelsea off life support.

Had it been last season, that game would have been a source of frustration for Mourinho and his players.

Last season it ain’t, however. Chelsea are in the mire and losing games valiantly has been as good as it has got this year.

They’re beginning to turn positive displays into positive results now, and the next step in the process is to get one over a rival.

For the first time in a long while—a generation you could argue—Spurs head into a London derby against Chelsea as the overwhelming favourites.

The start to 2015/16 has seen the tables well and truly turned as Mauricio Pochettino’s side have had us salivating. They've been the complete opposite to Chelsea.

The manner of their victory over West Ham United on Sunday was confirmation of Spurs’ credentials. It was as fluid as it was ruthless, and Mourinho knows he has a huge task to stop them being so rampant when Chelsea pitch up in north London.

It’s the exact approach from Spurs that has damaged Chelsea most this term; high intensity, pressing teams within their own half, appearing unrelentless.

Cesc Fabregas and Nemanja Matic have suffered from that and catastrophe has spiraled from there. Chelsea have lost control of games, and with it, they've lost their nerve.

Against the likes of Maccabi Tel Aviv—those teams without the personnel to turn the screw in the way Spurs will attempt—it’s been different.

Chelsea have picked them off and breezed their way to victories. They've been the playground bully.

Those matches aren't going to save Chelsea's season from oblivion, though. They need to rediscover the dominance and power that made them champions.

It starts against Spurs.

Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes