Dennis Wise helped put Tottenham in Chelsea’s shadow and does not see that changing any time soon.

The former Blues captain did not lose to Spurs in the 11 years he spent with the club between 1990 and 2001 and kick-started the era where winning trophies became the norm in west London.

However, Chelsea’s air of superiority, which came under threat in 2012 and 2016, has never appeared to be in greater peril than it is now.

Should Mauricio Pochettino’s side win at Chelsea on Sunday for the first time since 1990, they will move eight points clear of their rivals in the race for the final spot in the Premier League top four and Champions League qualification.

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Tottenham’s squad is blessed with a young English core, including Harry Kane and Dele Alli, and, perhaps most significantly of all, the club is moving into a new 62,000-capacity stadium at White Hart Lane this year.

In contrast, Chelsea will have to wait until 2024 for Stamford Bridge to be redeveloped, at a cost of around £1bn, and the team has gone from champions to also-rans in the top flight for the second time in four seasons.

"Chelsea will always be there competing for honours. But for Spurs they’re at more of a crossroads" Dennis Wise

Yet, Wise does not believe the balance of power is going to shift away from his former club to north London, whatever happens at the weekend or even the end of the season.

He told Standard Sport: “I think Spurs have built well, but I don’t think they’re near Chelsea as a club at the moment.

“Where do I class Spurs? They are batting above their weight. They haven’t won anything and haven’t spent a fortune on personnel. They have kept the nucleus of the squad and, from the outside, it looks like resources have been saved for the stadium.

“But as a player you want to win things - at Chelsea you do that. They may miss out one year but they’re back the next.”

Wise believes the pressure will be on Tottenham on Sunday as they seek to cement a place among the Premier League elite.

“It is more important for Spurs to push Chelsea out of the Champions League,” he said. “Chelsea will always be there competing for honours. But for Spurs they’re at more of a crossroads of which way they’re going to go.

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“They’ve already lost in the Champions League and if Manchester United beat them in the FA Cup semi-final and they finish fifth, then it’s another season where they have failed again.

“That’s the problem they have. There is more pressure on them. They always seem to get themselves in a nice spot but fall short.”

Despite Chelsea’s stutters this season, Wise does not see the club’s long-term status as being under threat.

“I am not concerned about Chelsea,” he said. “They have an owner in Roman Abramovich who is willing to put money into the club. He has shown that he can bring players in.

“Spurs have done a really good job, the way chairman Daniel Levy has built the new stadium and kept the team together.

“But they really do need to be consistent and stay in the Champions League spots constantly. If it doesn’t happen to Chelsea this season, it’s not a major problem. That’s the difference.”

This London derby brings back happy memories for the former midfielder, who joined Chelsea from Wimbledon for £1.6million in 1990.

When he arrived at Stamford Bridge, they were not considered a threat to the top clubs, whereas Spurs had the likes of Gary Lineker and Paul Gascoigne. “I remember turning up to Chelsea with Andy Townsend in 1990 and the ambition was just to stay up and build from there,” he said.

“Spurs had many quality players, like Gazza and Lineker, but we liked playing against them and they could never beat us. If we could have played them 38 times, we’d have won the League.

“During the decade, we did overtake Tottenham as a club. It just happened over time as we improved the quality of players coming in.

“We went from going for 26 years without a trophy to then winning regularly. And if you look at Spurs now, they haven’t lifted anything at all for 10 years.”

Nevertheless, Antonio Conte’s side has struggled for consistency since the turn of the year and Wise admits that will have to improve dramatically to bridge the gap to Pochettino’s team in the table. He added: “This is an important game for Chelsea. They have eight games left and may have to win all of them.

“At the moment, Spurs are five points clear of them and in control. I think it’s between these two clubs for the final Champions League spot.

“Chelsea need things to go their way, and they need to take advantage when Tottenham fail to win their matches. It is a big bonus that Harry Kane is injured.

“But everyone will know where they are after April 1: whether Chelsea are still in with a chance or whether Spurs are going to stay just in front.”

Watch Dennis Wise and the Chelsea Legends take on Inter Milan at Stamford Bridge Friday May 18 (7.45pm). Tickets available at chelseafc.com/legends