Last updated & checked: 10/08/2021
Tottenham Hotspur make the short trip across London on Wednesday evening to face Chelsea, in what should be a really interesting Premier League encounter. Both sides lost at the weekend, with the Blues being beaten by Manchester City at Wembley in the League Cup final. Spurs lost away in the league at Burnley, and manager Mauricio Pochettino was involved in an angry exchange with referee Mike Dean. The Spurs gaffer has been charged with improper conduct for the row.
Of course, Chelsea boss Mauricio Sarri had his own problems at Wembley, when goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga refused to be substituted near the end of the game. Arrizabalaga has now been fined a week’s wages for the incident, but it called Sarri’s authority over his players into serious doubt. How long the Italian has left in the Chelsea hotseat remains to be seen. This could be a tricky game for both managers.
Chelsea vs Tottenham Hotspur Prediction: Chelsea 1-2 Spurs
Our prediction for this game is that Spurs will win a disjointed and scrappy game 2-1. Neither side wil be feeling confident after the weekend’s events, but Spurs are in better shape than Sarri’s Blues right now. Chelsea have really struggled to score goals against Premier League opposition in recent weeks, and it looks like the manager’s authority has gone completely. There is no way of telling what kind of Chelsea team might emerge from the dressing rooms on Wednesday night. We suspect that Spurs will win the game, but it will not be a classic.
Our recommended tip: Spurs, both score
Our featured tip for this game comes from William Hill, who are offering odds of 4/1 on Spurs to win and both teams to score. We suspect that this will be a good bet, and, of course, it matches our prediction of a 2-1 win for Spurs. This bet also gives you a certain amount of flexibility when it comes to the actual final score. Odds of 4/1 also offer pretty good value for astute punters who bet sensibly. We think that Chelsea’s problems are bigger than Tottenham’s at the moment, and home advantage will not save them.
Previous matches
These two London rivals have played each other in 53 previous occasions in the Premier League. Out of those games, Chelsea have won 27 times. Spurs have beaten the Blues just seven times in the Premier League, and just once away from home. They last faced each other in the semi-finals of the League Cup, just last month. Chelsea won the two-legged on penalties after it finished 2-2 on aggregate.
The most recent Premier League encounter between the teams was earlier this season, at Wembley in November. Spurs won 3-1, thanks to goals from Dele Alli, Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min.
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Players to watch: Eden Hazard & Harry Kane
Eden Hazard has looked a little out of sorts in recent weeks as Chelsea have struggled. If Sarri is to save the Blues’s season, he needs his Belgian playmaker performing at his peak week-in and week-out. Hazard remains Chelsea’s most potent attacking threat, and has scored 12 goals and provided 10 assists in his 26 league appearances in 2018/19. Four of those goals have come from the penalty spot.
Now back from injury, Spurs’ England striker Harry Kane will be an increasingly important figure for Pochettino’s team as the season nears its end. Kane has managed 15 goals in his 23 Premier League appearances for Spurs, and has also weighed in with four assists. He has crossed the ball 10 times in the league this season, and has created seven big chances for his team-mates. He has made 40 shots on target, at an accuracy rate of 49%.
