Tottenham will look to consolidate their hold on the fourth spot when they host struggling London rivals Chelsea, who are desperate for a win.
Antonio Conte will again be absent from the Tottenham touchline, which at least rules out another post-match fracas like the one he encountered with former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel. Cristian Stellini will take charge of Spurs for a third game, aiming to keep his 100% record intact.
Tottenham put on another ‘second half’ show against West Ham United as goals from Emerson Royal and Son Heung-min sealed three points. The result moves them into the top four courtesy of Newcastle’s loss to Liverpool, although Spurs have played a game more than the Magpies.
🎙 “When he is back, I think the impact of Antonio will be incredible…”
Cristian Stellini gives an update on Antonio Conte's situation during today's press conference 💙
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) February 24, 2023
With the Premier League title nearly out of reach for Spurs, they will set sights on a top-four finish. The battle is between them and Newcastle United for the coveted Champions League spot. Spurs will look for consistency with results, particularly against a team considered one of the top six sides, at least by reputation.
Graham Potter had no respite in his quest to stabilise the squad and manage expectations. Bottom-placed Southampton surprised them with a defeat at Stamford Bridge last weekend. James Ward-Prowse’s stunning first-half free-kick settled the three points for the Saints, handing them a boost in their relegation fight.
That result was their second consecutive defeat in all competitions after the midweek Champions League loss to Borussia Dortmund. The pressure is truly on Potter to improve their chances this season. While a top-four spot might seem difficult, Chelsea could still try and finish as high as possible.
They desperately need victories and a consistent run of results to revive a terrible season and bring cohesion to a freshly assembled squad. Potter will hope some of his experienced stars make the best of the opportunities ahead and nurture the young stars around them to turn the campaign around.
Team News & Tactics
Tottenham Hotspur
Cristian Stellini confirmed that Tottenham have no fresh concerns after the West Ham United game and will have the same players available. It also means there is no change in the progress of injured players. Rodrigo Bentancur will miss up to nine months of action after undergoing surgery on his ACL rupture.
Preparing for #TOTCHE ⚽️
🛵 @Getir_UK pic.twitter.com/chc75OwKqc
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) February 24, 2023
Hugo Lloris could also miss the remainder of the campaign, while there is no progress reported on Yves Bissouma and Ryan Sessegnon’s conditions. Stelleni will likely name an unchanged lineup from the West Ham game, as he has no reasons to change personnel.
January arrival Pedro Porro will remain on the bench as Emerson Royal hits a rich vein of form. On the other flank, Ben Davies performed admirably, providing the assist for the first goal, meaning Stellini will likely retain him there and not disturb the system.
Richarlison, who continues to search for his first Premier League goal for Tottenham, will keep his place in the front three despite Son Heung-min’s goal against West Ham. The South Korean will be allowed more time to find his true form, meaning he will remain on the bench again.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Forster; Romero, Dier, Lenglet; Emerson, Skipp, Hojbjerg, Davies; Kulusevski, Kane, Richarlison
Chelsea
Graham Potter will not have the five injured players returning for the London derby against Tottenham. Cesar Azpilicueta suffered a nasty head injury against Southampton. While he has returned from the hospital and is back in training, the Spaniard will not feature on Sunday.
Our skipper. 💙 pic.twitter.com/D2c7LrwlVx
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) February 22, 2023
The manager also confirmed N’Golo Kante and Christian Pulisic would play no part on Sunday. Chelsea are also without Edouard Mendy and Armando Broja with long-term injuries. Other than those, Potter will have the rest of the squad available.
He also confirmed that beleaguered striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is available for selection. But the former Arsenal captain may not make the starting eleven. Reece James could return after sitting out the Southampton loss, and he would replace Azpilicueta at right-back.
Ben Chilwell will retain his place at left-back at the expense of Marc Cucurella. Thiago Silva could replace Kalidou Koulibaly at the back and partner Benoit Badiashile. In the attack, Mykhaylo Mudryk could replace Mason Mount, while Kai Havertz likely to come in for David Fofana to lead the line.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kepa; James, Silva, Badiashile, Chilwell; Kovacic, Fernandez; Madueke, Felix, Mudryk; Havertz
Key Stats
- Tottenham have not won three consecutive home Premier League games with clean sheets since 2019.
- Tottenham have not drawn a league match at home since December 2021.
- Chelsea are undefeated in their last 14 matches against Tottenham in all competitions.
- Chelsea have kept a clean sheet in five of their last six away matches against Tottenham in all competitions.
- Chelsea have scored at least two goals in five of their last six matches against Tottenham in all competitions.
Player to Watch
Harry Kane
Tottenham and Chelsea’s games are always a feisty affair. Kane has not had the joy of scoring plenty against the Blues. Until now, Leicester City, Arsenal and Everton are his favourite opponents, and he has found the net against Chelsea only five times in 15 games in the Premier League.
Meanwhile, he has the worst personal disciplinary record against Chelsea, managing eight yellow cards in his career. While he will want to better the goalscoring numbers against the Blues, Kane would want to pick momentum ahead of a crucial stage in Tottenham’s season, where they contend on at least three fronts. A win over their London rivals will go a long way in 0building confidence.
Prediction
Tottenham 2-1 Chelsea
Chelsea might not have picked this game after two morale-sapping, yet crucial defeats. While Graham Potter has come under increasing pressure, a short trip to north London may not serve his purpose now. The Blues did show some improvements in the last game, but Tottenham could snatch a victory, their first in over 15 games against the Blues.
Spurs have momentum after a few good results in recent matchdays. The victory over West Ham showed they have found their rhythm. However, they have a wretched record against fellow Big Six teams this season, something Tottenham will look to improve against Chelsea.
