Tottenham Hotspurs will travel to Stamford Bridge for a Premier League game against their London rivals – Chelsea. Having lost to Arsenal 3-2 last weekend, Spurs have put themselves in a difficult position to get into the Top 4. They are currently 5th in the league with 60 points. Although they are seven points behind Aston Villa, who are in fourth, Spurs have played two games fewer than them.
However, Spurs’ next few fixtures will not be easy. Starting from Chelsea, the North London side will be up against Liverpool and Manchester City in the coming weeks. This will certainly make their push for a UCL spot extremely tough as all of these teams are playing to make something out of their season.
Going to Stamford Bridge has never been easy for Tottenham Hotspurs. They have won just once at Chelsea’s home ground in over 30 years. The Premier League game between the two teams earlier this season was box-office. Chelsea bagged a 4-1 win, but it did not come without controversies and the strange playing style adopted by Tottenham’s boss after losing two players to red cards. Mauricio Pochettino has a load of injuries in his team, but he is well aware that a loss against the Spurs at home would not only have huge repercussions for Chelsea’s season, but it could also put his future in jeopardy.
Chelsea need a win against the Tottenham Hotspurs
Despite the season they have had, Chelsea are very much in contention for a European spot. They are ninth in the table with 48 points and could climb a few places with a win on Thursday. The team will be without the likes of Axel Disasi, Thiago Silva, Carney Chukwuemeka, Enzo Fernandez, Ben Chilwell and Malo Gusto. Christopher Nkunku and Levi Colwill have been involved in team training, but their availability for this game is questionable.
Playing in a big game without more than half of the regular starters is not going to be easy. However, this cannot be used as an excuse for Poch as the team has dropped crucial points even with these players in the lineup. Aside from Cole Palmer, the team have not had consistent performances from any player. The 21-year-old returned to the lineup in the team’s 2-2 draw against Aston Villa last week.
Tottenham Hotspurs also have a lot of injuries in their lineup. Timo Werner is ruled out for the season due to a hamstring injury. To add to their misery even Ben Davies has now been ruled out for a significant amount of time due to a calf injury. Luckily, Postecoglu has the right players who can easily fit in their position, which softens the blow for the Spurs.
Both sides will come all guns blazing into the encounter as they have European spots in sight. This fixture has always been a great watch for neutral fans and considering there being a lot at stake, this one is expected to be no different.
