Evening Standard
·29 April 2024
Evening Standard
·29 April 2024
It is perhaps not an overstatement to say that both Chelsea and Tottenham’s seasons are on the line when they meet this Thursday.
For the Blues, three games without a win have knocked them out of the FA Cup and left them five points off the final European qualification spot in the Premier League.
Spurs, meanwhile, are seven points off Aston Villa with two games in hand in the race to qualify for the Champions League.
Two humbling defeats in a row and a tough run-in mean Ange Postecoglou must see an instant response from his players to ensure they aren’t marooned in fifth place well in advance of the final day - although some would say that is already a solid return for the Australian’s debut season.
Mauricio Pochettino would be able to call his first year in the Chelsea hotseat something of a success with a top-seven finish and a repeat of the wild 4-1 win in the reverse fixture would go a long way to helping that cause.
Chelsea vs Tottenham is scheduled for a 7.30pm BST kick-off on Thursday, May 2, 2024.
The match will take place at Stamford Bridge in west London.
Chelsea ran out 4-1 winners in the reverse fixture
Chelsea FC via Getty Images
TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on Sky Sports Main Event and Premier League, with coverage beginning at 7pm.
Live blog: You can follow all the action on matchday via Standard Sport’s live blog, with expert analysis from Nizaar Kinsella and Dan Kilpatrick at the ground.
Thiago Silva will undergo scans on a groin injury amid fears his season, and Chelsea career, are now over. Axel Disasi is primed to enter the XI in his absence.
It is unclear if Malo Gusto, Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell will return in time with the Blues’ injury list now up to 13 players.
Tottenham are assessing Timo Werner following his early exit from the north London derby due to a hamstring injury.
Spurs are threatening to spiral towards a miserable end to the season but few teams have defined the phrase ‘spiral’ like Chelsea in recent years. Pochettino has enjoyed a relatively decent record in big home games, though.
Whichever way this one falls, two leaky defences mean there should be goals.
Chelsea to win, 3-2.
Tottenham have won just once in the league at Stamford Bridge in the last 34 years.
Chelsea wins: 78
Tottenham wins: 56
Draws: 42
Chelsea: 6/5
Tottenham: 19/10
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