Top 4 teams in the Premier League will get to play in the Champions League next season. However, 5 of them are in the competition for those spots at the moment, including both Chelsea and Tottenham who meet this Sunday afternoon. Currently, the Spurs have 5 points more than the Blues, but Chelsea are hoping that with the help of their supporters at the Stamford Bridge they can get bridge the gap. Will they succeed? Find out in this Chelsea vs. Tottenham match preview!
Chelsea vs. Tottenham match preview
Chelsea
Both teams have failed to advance to the quarterfinals of the Champions League, which is why their main focus is the Premier League. Chelsea are currently on the 5th spot on the table, at a safe distance from Arsenal, who are a spot behind. It seems that we’re definitely gonna see the Blues in Europe next season, the only question is in which completion – the Champions League or the Europa League?
Obviously, booking a place in the Champions League means getting a big financial boost, but for Chelsea, it’s much more than that. It’s rumored that some of their top players, including Eden Hazard, will want to move away if the club fails to finish the season on one of the top 4 spots. The same goes for their manager, Antonio Conte, who’s likely to get fired if Chelsea don’t achieve this goal.
All of this means that Chelsea won’t lack motivation in the clash with Tottenham, but do they have what it takes to pull off a win? Well, don’t forget that this team is the reigning champion of the Premier League and although some players have left the club since last year, they still have plenty of talent in the locker-room.
The problem is that Chelsea haven’t been playing very well in the last couple of weeks. So, the international break might have done them some good. They had plenty of time to prepare properly for the duel with the Spurs. Another thing going in their favor is that they don’t have too many problems with injuries. Finally, this game is played at the Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea have lost only once since September.
Tottenham
The biggest problem for Tottenham is the absence of Harry Kane, their best player and currently the second-best scorer in the league. The fact is that The Spurs’ winning percentage with Kane in the team is 59% when Harry Kane, but when he’s out it’s just 39%.
On the bright side, they seem to be coping very well without him. They had no problems beating Swansea in the FA Cup two weeks ago. Of course, Chelsea is a much tougher opponent than the Swans.
There’s another reason why the Spurs might not be too optimistic ahead of this game – their away record isn’t that impressive. Surely, they did win their previous 3 away matches, but generally speaking, they’re not a very good away team. For example, they’re still without a single win against Chelsea at the Stamford Bridge.
Team News
Chelsea absentees:
- David Luiz (injury)
- Ross Barkley (injury)
- Andreas Christensen (doubtful)
- Thibaut Courtois (doubtful)
Tottenham absentees:
- Harry Kane (injury)
Possible Lineups
Chelsea:
Caballero – Rudiger, Cahill, Azpilicueta – Kante, Bakayoko, Moses, Alonso – Hazard, Willian, Morata
Tottenham:
Lloris – Sanchez, Vertonghen, Trippier, Davies – Dier, Sissoko, Eriksen – Lucas, Dele Alli, Son Heung-Min
Chelsea vs. Tottenham Match Prediction
This match seems destined to end in a draw. Still, considering that Chelsea do have some pretty serious problems at the back, it wouldn’t be a big surprise if the Spurs managed to snatch a win. All of this makes me think that a safer bet is to focus on goals. I’m pretty sure we’re gonna see goals on both ends on Sunday.
Chelsea vs. Tottenham Betting Tips
BTS @1.80 (bet365)
Double Chance X2 @1.57 (bet365)
