Tottenham Hotspur have a one-goal first leg advantage and will attempt to reach their first cup final since 2015

The latest chapter in Tottenham Hotspur’s rivalry with Chelsea will take place tonight and the N17 club will hope to get the better of their bitter foes again.

Spurs have won the last three meetings, but the Blues still hold the upper-hand overall with 68 wins compared to the Lilywhites 54 while there has been 40 draws.

A stalemate this evening at Stamford Bridge would be enough to ensure Tottenham are celebrating as it will book them a spot in the League Cup final.

For a long period of time Chelsea were simply untouchable, but Mauricio Pochettino has bridged the gap and you could now legitimately argue Spurs are top dogs in the capital.

It has not happened overnight, but Tottenham have won their last two Premier League games against the west Londoners by a 3-1 score and then triumphed 1-0 on January 8 in the League Cup semi-final first leg.

Yet Pochettino will know a better sign of the tide now being turned when it comes to how the two clubs are viewed will be Spurs progressing later today.

Everything seems against them from a selection point of view – Harry Kane and Dele Alli plus Heung-min Son are unavailable – but Tottenham remain positive like always.

It doesn’t matter what is thrown at them because the mindset of the group stays the same and that is down to the Argentinian and his coaching staff.

Looking ahead to facing Chelsea without three of his best players, and in what will be a cauldron of noise and ferocity at Stamford Bridge, Pochettino said: “More problems mean more positives and more optimism.

“The team wasn’t down (after Alli’s injury towards the end of the Fulham game). The team was trying.

“In football in the competition you cannot be affected by the things that happen. You need to keep going.

“Of course when the game finishes you can think a little bit and be disappointed and all the emotion arrive, but during the game - the most important thing was the team wasn’t affected by that situation (Alli’s injury).

“Talking about that, I am so optimistic. We are going to prepare for the game, try to find solutions, try to be solid, try to be aggressive, and try to be offensive and try to keep our identity.

“Of course it’s going to be tough. I don’t say we’re going to win easily, but we are going to try and that is the most important.

“What happens will happen, but I know that afterwards I will be happy because I know very well the squad we have is going to give their best to try to be in the final.”