Chelsea vs Tottenham Hotspur – Match preview and team news | OneFootball

Chelsea entertain Tottenham Hotspur this evening in a fixture that always promises tension, chaos and melodrama.

The Blues are competing for the Champions League places, with many of their close competitors tasting victory over the past few days.

Enzo Maresca’s options have been bolstered by the availability of attacking trio Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke. Palmer missed the 1-0 defeat to Arsenal prior to the international break through a combination of illness and a hamstring issue.

Chelsea have been without the services of Jackson and Madueke for a number of weeks due to muscular injuries. However, Belgian midfielder Romeo Lavia is expected to miss out after a recent setback in his recovery.

Tottenham will be attempting to win at Stamford Bridge for only the second time in three decades tonight.

Ange Postecoglou revealed that Kevin Danso and Dejan Kulusevski won’t be ready to play for a couple more weeks. The pair are doubtful for the first leg of the Europa League quarter-final against Frankfurt next week.

Richarlison has been plagued by injury this season, but he has recently returned to light training. The short trip to West London comes too soon for the Brazilian, with the weekend’s action considered a more appropriate time to re-implement the striker into the squad.

Chelsea vs Tottenham Hotspur – Match preview and team news

Form

Chelsea: WWWWL

The Blues fell to a London derby defeat last time out, as Arsenal narrowly beat them in the capital.

Mikel Merino’s header was the difference at the Emirates Stadium with Chelsea’s performance lacking inspiration.

Chelsea have an important few months ahead domestically and in Europe.

Victories for Newcastle and Manchester City on Wednesday saw them overtake the West Londoners in the table, who have the opportunity to reclaim fourth spot with a win tonight.

Next midweek, they travel to Poland to face Legia Warszawa in the first leg of their Europa Conference League quarter-final.

Tottenham: LLDWL

Prior to the international break, Spurs lost for the fifteenth time in the Premier League this season, with Fulham conquering them on this occasion.

It was an evenly-contested affair until Rodrigo Muniz broke the deadlock with less than a quarter of an hour remaining. Former Spurs player Ryan Sessegnon then compounded their misery with a sumptuous second.

That result left Spurs in 14th position and after recent results, the Lilywhites are closer to the relegation zone than the top four.

However, their primary focus has shifted to their Europa League exploits. A two-legged tie with Frankfurt is on the horizon with a place in the final four at stake.

Winning that competition will put an end to Tottenham’s trophy drought while simultaneously earning them a place in the Champions League next season.

Last Meeting: Tottenham 3-4 Chelsea, Premier League, 8th December 2024

Tottenham’s capitulation in the last meeting allowed Chelsea to complete a memorable comeback over their London rivals.

Ange Postecoglou’s side commenced the contest with attacking impetus and were 2-0 up inside the opening 11 minutes.

Dominic Solanke converted Brennan Johnson’s cross before Dejan Kulusevski drilled into the bottom corner from range.

Comically, both goals came as a result of slips from left-back Marc Cucurella. The European Championship winner changed his footwear and Chelsea’s fortunes soon changed.

Jadon Sancho halved the deficit almost instantly with a tremendous solo effort. The Manchester United loanee skipped inside before firing a strike beyond the substantial reach of Fraser Forster.

In a key flashpoint, Moises Caicedo was perhaps fortunate to escape with only a yellow card for a robust challenge on Pape Matar Sarr.

On the hour mark, a lapse in judgement from Yves Bissouma saw the Malian impede Caicedo inside the box. Cole Palmer stepped up to take the spot-kick and sent the goalkeeper the wrong way.

Spurs looked despondent and the game was heading in only one direction. The hosts succumbed to the pressure when Enzo Fernandez blasted in a half-volley to send the travelling support into raptures.

Ange Postecoglou’s evening went from bad to worse when Sarr petulantly kicked Palmer in the penalty area. The Englishman relished the responsibility once again and sent an audacious chip down the middle. It was executed with an unerring composure that the midfielder has become synonymous with.

Spurs skipper Heung-min Son grabbed a consolation deep into stoppage time, but it couldn’t stop Chelsea from claiming the bragging rights. A seven-goal thriller in North London and a fifth successive victory for the visitors.

Predicted Lineups

Chelsea: Sanchez; James, Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella; Fernandez, Caicedo; Madueke, Palmer, Neto,; Jackson.

Tottenham: Vicario; Spence, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bentancur, Bergvall, Maddison; Odobert, Solanke, Son.

Who is the referee?

Craig Pawson will be the match official. Stuart Burt and James Mainwaring will assist him while Rob Jones will be the fourth official. The VAR will be Jarred Gillett and he will be assisted by Craig Taylor.

What TV channel is Chelsea vs Tottenham on?

Tonight’s London Derby will be televised on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Go UK and NOW UK.

What time is kick-off?

Kick-off at Stamford Bridge will be at 20:00 GMT on Thursday 3rd April 2025.

Chelsea vs Tottenham Match Odds

Chelsea: 13/20

Draw: 18/5

Tottenham: 18/5

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