Eric Dier Admits Current Chelsea Side Is Reminiscent of Tottenham Under Mauricio Pochettino

​Eric Dier has said Chelsea's new youthful side under Frank Lampard reminds him of the Tottenham team he initially joined from Sporting CP back in 2014.

The London rivals lock horns in the Premier League on Sunday as the Blues make their first trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in a crucial battle in the race for the top four.

Back in the 2015/16 season, ​Spurs were in a race with Leicester to secure the league title, only to have their hopes dashed at an ill-tempered Stamford Bridge clash that crowned the Foxes as ​Premier League champions.

A young team with an English core, ​Dier says the side he was part of under Mauricio Pochettino bears a resemblance to the ​Chelsea side that are making the trip north of the capital this weekend.

"I see a lot of us four years ago in this Chelsea team," said Dier at the One Hotspur Junior Christmas Party, as quoted by the ​Telegraph. "I think there’s a lot of similarities from when we started out with Pochettino and what Chelsea are doing now.

"They’re performing at a consistent level, which is really good, and they all look very hungry which is good for people that are a bit older, they’re pushing everyone. It’s a very young squad with a lot of English players that have got their chance and seem to be relishing it.

Just three points separate the two teams heading into the clash, with Jose Mourinho's side knowing victory will see them leapfrog their bitter rivals and usurp them in the top four positions.

It's a game that Dier admits he is relishing, saving praise for the work of Lampard and the style he's implemented since taking the reins in the summer.

"It’s a young manager as well and they seem to be playing a very good style of football, a very brave style of football," he added. "It will be exciting to play against them. We’ve had many great games against Chelsea in the last couple of years, hopefully this will be another one and will go in our favour."

Dier also offered some insight into his relationship with Mourinho, revealing that himself and his new manager converse in Portuguese as opposed to English - and that he is excited about learning under the new man at the helm.

"By ourselves we speak in Portuguese. It’s as good as my English," the midfielder revealed. "I feel very lucky to have worked under Pochettino and now Mourinho. For me personally, I just see it as a great opportunity to learn from another great manager, one of the best there’s ever been. It’s a great opportunity to learn new things, see how he works and try to improve myself."