Chelsea vs Tottenham: Preview, Team News & Predictions
Two sides who fell well short of their season aspirations, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, will clash on Thursday, May 2nd in a feisty London derby under the lights.
Mauricio Pochettino will be up against his former employers with his side having narrowly missed out on snatching all three points from Aston Villa over the weekend.
A stellar show in the second half produced goals from Noni Madueke and Conor Gallagher, while a late Axel Disasi goal was controversially chalked off by VAR for a foul by Benoit Badiashile in the build-up.
The Blues’ indifferent season continues, as they swing from spectacular to strange. One never knows which shade of Chelsea will turn up on the day.
Spurs, meanwhile, had their comeback against Arsenal stalled as the Gunners edged them out 3-2 after Cristian Romero and Son Heung-Min struck second-half goals.
As it stands, they’re currently seven points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa with two games in hand. And it’s fair to say that after two losses on the trot, they have much more on the line to play for.
Team News
Chelsea
Chelsea had as many as 11 absentees against Aston Villa. In a season characterized by setbacks, injuries have let Pochettino down like nothing else.
Enzo Fernandez has played his last game of the season after an operation, as have Romeo Lavia, Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Lesley Ugochukwu and Carney Chukwuemeka.
Thiago Silva, who recently disclosed that he will be leaving West London once the season wraps up, is suffering from a groin problem and may have made his last appearance in a Chelsea uniform.
Raheem Sterling, Christopher Nkunku, Ben Chilwell, and Malo Gusto aren’t as far away as their teammates.
Also read: Thiago Silva Confirms Impending Chelsea Exit
Tottenham Hotspur
With Timo Werner nursing a hamstring injury sustained in the defeat against Arsenal, a reunion with his former club is unlikely.
Richarlison, on the other hand, will be pushing for a start upfront, whereas Destiny Udogie, Fraser Forster and Manor Solomon are out for the remainder of the season.
Predicted XI
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Petrovic; Chalobah, Colwill, Badiashile, Cucurella; Caicedo, Gallagher; Madueke, Palmer, Mudryk; Jackson
Tottenham Hotspur (4-2-3-1): Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Davies; Sarr, Bissouma; Kulusevski, Maddison, Johnson; Son
Match Prediction
Two shoddy defences. Two volatile sides. Two unpredictable teams.
The game could swing either way, cracking open from time to time, as the ruthlessness of both Chelsea and Tottenham could be negated due to their defending. Be that from open play, wide areas, or set pieces.
Predicted score: Chelsea 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur
Also read: New FA Cup Format Announced For 2024-25
-Roy Akarshak
Twitter: @RoyAkarshak
Photo: Hzh. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.