Chelsea v Spurs – Match Preview | OneFootball

It’s third versus first as two potential title challengers go head-to-head on Sunday afternoon, with Chelsea hosting Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.

Here’s everything you need to know regarding Sunday’s hotly-anticipated clash at Stamford Bridge:

Form & Team News

Chelsea: WWWWW

The Blues come into the game having won all of their last six matches in all competitions and have lost just once in the league thus far, with that defeat coming back in September against champions Liverpool.

Frank Lampard’s side were superb in the wins over Burnley and Sheffield United, before enjoying a comfortable win last weekend away to Newcastle in a game that saw Tammy Abraham continue his fine form with a well-taken goal.

That form has also carried over into the Champions League, with Chelsea impressively securing their passage to the last-16 of the competition following their 2-1 win over Rennes on Tuesday night with two games to spare.

That victory saw Callum Hudson-Odoi make the most of a rare starting berth, while the evergreen Olivier Giroud reminded his manager of his importance after netting an excellent late winner against their Ligue 1 opponents.

With a tough clash with Spurs to come, N’Golo Kante is likely to be reinstated to the side having been just a substitute in midweek, while defender Thiago Silva is line to start after being rested at the weekend. Summer signing Kai Havertz made his return off the bench on Tuesday, although Christian Pulisic is still out with a hamstring injury.

Tottenham: LWWWW

Tottenham put on a true Jose Mourinho masterclass at the weekend, as the league leaders stubborn display kept Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City at bay and made it four league wins on the trot.

An early strike from the in-form Heung-Min Son put the hosts ahead before City were controversially denied a goal after Gabriel Jesus was deemed to have handled the ball in the build-up. The home side stayed ahead and then extended their lead midway through the second-half courtesy of a Giovani Lo Celso strike.

While it wasn’t exactly a free-flowing display, Mourinho’s men expertly frustrated their opponents while also remaining a real threat on the break, with Harry Kane dropping deep and occupying the City backline to excellent effect.

That win came after a few below-par displays in recent weeks, although to their credit, they appear to have found a way to win even when they’re not replicating their destructive early season form.

Mourinho will now be hoping his side can really kick on in the title race with a win at his old stomping ground, where he famously took Chelsea to three Premier League titles across two spells.

As for Sunday’s match, the former Manchester United boss will have to make do without the injured Toby Alderweireld, after the Belgian international suffered a serious injury in the latter stages of Saturday’s win.

Last Meeting

Carabao Cup, Tottenham 1-1 Chelsea (5-4 pens), 29 September 2020

The two sides have already met so far this season in the Carabao Cup Fourth Round tie back in September.

The away side lined up with far stronger starting eleven and took the lead inside 20 minutes, with Timo Werner netting his first goal for the club after his summer arrival from RB Leipzig.

To their credit, the hosts came out fighting in the second half and were duly rewarded as Erik Lamela bagged an 83rd minute equaliser to send the tie to penalties, with Mason Mount’s crucial missed spot-kick seeing Spurs progress to the quarter-finals.

The real story of the match, however, came when defender Eric Dier rushed off the pitch for a toilet break in the second-half, with manager Mourinho in hot pursuit. Luckily for Dier, his side did not concede in his absence, while he’d go on to not only net a penalty in the shootout, but also bag the man of the match award.

Predicted Lineups

Chelsea: Mendy; James, Silva, Zouma, Chilwell; Kante, Kovacic, Mount; Ziyech, Abraham, Werner.

Tottenham: Lloris; Aurier, Rodon, Dier, Reguilon; Hojberg, Sissoko, Ndombele; Bergwijn, Kane, Son.

Who is the referee?

Paul Tierney

How can I watch?

UK and Irish readers can watch the match on Sky Sports Main Event.

What time is kick off?

Sunday 29 November, 16:30 GMT

Odds

Chelsea – 11/10

Tottenham – 12/5

Draw – 5/2

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See also – Champions League Team of the Week