Chelsea vs Tottenham Hotspur Preview: Form, Team News & Prediction | OneFootball

Stamford Bridge will host Thursday’s high-stakes Premier League clash between fierce London rivals Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.

Enzo Maresca’s future in the Blues’ dugout isn’t safe yet, even though his side headed into the international break inside the top four, a point clear of fifth-placed Manchester City.

With nine games to go, Chelsea must treat every remaining fixture as a ‘must-win’ after a 1-0 defeat at Arsenal last time out helped Newcastle United and Brighton & Hove Albion reduce the gap to two points.

As several clubs close in on the Blues in the battle for Champions League qualification, the hosts cannot afford to keep dropping points, which has recently been a common theme.

Despite their dominant run in the Europa Conference League, there’s a feeling that success in Europe’s third-tier competition won’t quench the board’s lofty appetites.

Like their hosts, Tottenham can cover themselves in continental glory after overcoming a first-leg deficit to beat AZ Alkmaar 3-2 on aggregate in their Europa League last-16 tie.

Halting the club’s 17-game title drought could be the only saving grace for under-pressure manager Ange Postecoglou amid Tottenham’s dreadful Premier League campaign.

A 2-0 defeat at Fulham on the stroke of the international break left Spurs stranded in the lower reaches, a massive ten points behind 10th-placed Bournemouth.

Critical juncture

Chelsea entered the international break with three losses from their last six Premier League matches (W3) – all of which came against last season’s top-half finishers.

However, with Man City and Newcastle suffering the same number of defeats, they managed to cling on to fourth place despite their inconsistent form.

Their recent league pattern has been clear, as evidenced by four home wins and four away losses across their last eight outings, with each win coming against sides starting this round in the bottom five.

Maresca’s team will look to extend that home success for at least one more round against a familiar foe, whom they’ve beaten in nine of their last 12 league clashes (D1, L2).

Chelsea stunned the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in December’s reverse fixture, hauling back a two-goal deficit to win 4-3 and stretch their winning run against Spurs to three.

Forgettable campaign

With Chelsea winning more Premier League games against Tottenham than any other opposition (36), Spurs’ bid to recover from their recent slump at Craven Cottage looks far-fetched.

Postecoglou’s side has stuttered in London derbies this season, picking up a joint league-low ten points from their nine top-flight encounters against fellow cross-capital rivals (W3, D1, L5).

Another underwhelming result could be in store unless Postecoglou finds a recipe to beat Chelsea after losing his first three matches against the Blues.

He could become the first Tottenham boss to lose their first four league games against the Blues, underscoring the mental barrier he must overcome to avoid defeat at the Bridge.

Although this is a relatively short trip, leaving their home comforts spells trouble for Spurs, considering only five teams have won fewer Premier League away points than Tottenham’s 16.

Team News

Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke, and Nicolas Jackson returned to first-team training during the international break and will be available to Maresca on Thursday.

Spurs stars Dejan Kulusevski, Radu Dragusin, Kevin Danso and Richarlison were in the stands at Craven Cottage and will reportedly stay on the sidelines until further notice.

Prediction

It’s hard to back either side with conviction, but Chelsea should be in better shape ahead of this encounter.

Tottenham’s league season is over, and adding another defeat in a high-profile fixture to the tally feels inevitable.