Chelsea vs Tottenham Hotspur - prediction, team news, lineups

As Xabi Alonso scrutinises from afar, Chelsea play their last Premier League location crippled of the play connected Tuesday night, erstwhile London rivals Tottenham Hotspur sojourn Stamford Bridge.

The Blues are astatine an expanding hazard of missing retired connected European shot altogether successful 2026-27, whereas the Lilywhites could person the accidental to unafraid endurance successful the superior derby.

Match preview

An due effect to losing a 4th consecutive FA Cup final, Chelsea confirmed the assignment of Bundesliga Invincible Alonso connected a four-year declaration less than 24 hours aft a 1-0 decision to Manchester City nether the Wembley arch.

Calum McFarlane's men held their ain against the treble-chasing Citizens, but the 1 infinitesimal of attacking ingenuity that counted for thing was conjured up by Antoine Semenyo, whose audacious backheel sent Chelsea backmost to Stamford Bridge empty-handed.

The Blues apt made a decent content connected the incoming Alonso if thing else, but nonaccomplishment to descend the Sky Blues closed disconnected 1 imaginable way to European shot for Tuesday's hosts, who are mathematically retired of top-five contention successful the Premier League.

Nevertheless, Chelsea's Champions League hopes are not dormant and buried conscionable yet, arsenic McFarlane's broadside are six points adrift of Bournemouth successful sixth spot, which volition contiguous a pathway to the apical tier of European contention if Aston Villa decorativeness 5th and triumph the Europa League.

A gutsy 1-1 gully astatine Liverpool past play besides snapped Chelsea's disastrous six-game losing tally successful the Premier League, though they are inactive connected the verge of making unwanted history; decision connected Tuesday would spot the hosts suffer 5 consecutive league location matches for the archetypal clip ever.

Not since the 2001-02 play person Chelsea mislaid their past location crippled of the campaign, though; that decision 24 years agone came against Aston Villa, who coincidentally defeated Tottenham successful the Lilywhites' last distant lucifer of 2024-25.

However, Roberto De Zerbi's rejuvenated men travel into Tuesday's crunch clash arsenic the signifier team, having equalled their longest unbeaten tally of the Premier League play by winning 2 and drafting 2 of their past 4 matches.

Spurs' 1-1 gully with Leeds United was precise overmuch a lawsuit of 2 points dropped for the Lilywhites, but acknowledgment to bitter rivals Arsenal doing them a immense favour astatine West Ham United, Tottenham participate gameweek 37 2 points wide of the relegation portion successful the Premier League table.

Therefore, if the Irons neglect to bushed Newcastle United connected Sunday evening and Tottenham prevail astatine Stamford Bridge, De Zerbi's men volition officially clasp their Premier League presumption and nonstop West Ham down to the Championship.

The Lilywhites' praiseworthy roadworthy signifier suggests that script is simply a realistic one, arsenic lone Arsenal and Manchester City person won much Premier League distant matches than Tottenham's 7 this season, including back-to-back successes astatine Wolverhampton Wanderers and Aston Villa successful their past 2 trips.

Spurs were edged retired 1-0 by Chelsea successful this nonstop fixture successful 2024-25, though, and the Blues' identical distant triumph successful November marked their 5th consecutive league triumph implicit Tottenham, who person not triumphed astatine Stamford Bridge successful the apical formation since the Mauricio Pochettino days successful 2018.

Chelsea Premier League form:

Chelsea signifier (all competitions):

Tottenham Hotspur Premier League form:

Team News

Injury was added to insult for Chelsea successful the FA Cup final, wherever Joao Pedro appeared to wounded his limb successful the archetypal fractional and played done the symptom earlier being forcibly withdrawn successful the 86th minute.

The Barcelona-linked Brazilian is truthful a important wounded uncertainty for Tuesday's derby, which Jesse Derry (head), Estevao Willian (hamstring), Jamie Gittens (thigh) and the banned Mykhaylo Mudryk are guaranteed to miss.

In brighter news, Pedro Neto, Alejandro Garnacho and Robert Sanchez were each progressive connected Saturday aft recovering from their ain issues, and the erstwhile is simply a contender to regenerate Reece James if McFarlane avoids risking his injury-plagued captain.

Speaking of players returning from injury, Tottenham's James Maddison made his archetypal quality of the play against Leeds aft his lengthy ACL betterment and could person won a punishment astatine the extremity pursuing a situation from Lukas Nmecha, which was deemed fair.

Maddison - who slammed "petrified" referees aft the incident - lone came connected successful the 85th infinitesimal of the gully with the Whites, truthful it whitethorn inactive beryllium excessively soon for the playmaker to commencement first-team matches.

Xavi Simons (knee), Wilson Odobert (knee), Dejan Kulusevski (knee), Mohammed Kudus (thigh) and Cristian Romero (knee) are retired of contention for the visitors, but nary of Dominic Solanke (hamstring), Ben Davies (ankle) oregon Guglielmo Vicario (hernia) person been ruled retired yet.

Chelsea imaginable starting lineup:

Sanchez; Fofana, Colwill, Hato; Gusto, Caicedo, Fernandez, Cucurella; Palmer, Neto; Delap

Tottenham Hotspur imaginable starting lineup:

Kinsky; Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bentancur, Palhinha; Kolo Muani, Gallagher, Tel; Richarlison

We say: Chelsea 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur

Giving some champions Liverpool and challengers Man City a pugnacious tally for their money, Chelsea person had a much solidified look astir them since McFarlane's strategy switch, but their deficiency of goals - conscionable 3 successful their past 7 matches - is yet to beryllium rectified.

With the influential Pedro besides perchance missing out, Tottenham should not travel nether siege from their hosts, but a low-scoring gully inactive feels the astir apt result arsenic Spurs' combat for endurance goes down to the last day.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.