Tottenham Hotspur will be eager to return to winning ways when they host Chelsea at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.
Gameweek 15 of the 2024/25 Premier League season continues on Sunday, which will witness four matches. The action on the day will start with three simultaneous games before ending with Tottenham Hotspur vs Chelsea at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Tottenham Hotspur would have hoped to compete for the UEFA Champions League spots. However, the North London giants have lost as many games as they have won thus far this term. That has left them 15 points behind the table-topping Liverpool, with second-placed Chelsea eight points ahead. So, the pressure is ramping up on Ange Postecoglou, with Tottenham interested in Kieran McKenna.
As for Chelsea, Enzo Maresca has not taken long to make his mark at the West London club. While the Blues lost their season-opening game against Manchester City, they have only faced a defeat once in the 13 subsequent Premier League outings. The excellent run has lifted Maresca’s charges to second in the Premier League standings, leapfrogging Arsenal on goal difference after the 5-1 win over Southampton earlier this week.
The corresponding fixture last season saw Chelsea come from a goal down to beat Tottenham 4-1, with Nicolas Jackson scoring a match-winning hat-trick, while Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie saw red. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Tottenham Hotspur
Ange Postecoglou has greeted a mixed bag of updates on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Tottenham Hotspur manager will be bereft of the services of seven first-team players vs Chelsea on Sunday.
Ben Davies is the latest absentee, adding to Tottenham’s injury crisis in the defensive unit. The Welshman has joined Guglielmo Vicario (ankle), Micky van de Ven (hamstring), Mikey Moore (illness), Rodrigo Bentancur (suspension), Wilson Odobert (thigh), and Richarlison (hamstring) on the sidelines.
Cristian Romero is closing in on returning from a toe injury, and Postecoglou might pick him straightaway. However, if the Argentine international is not fit enough to start, Archie Gray will pair up with Radu Dragusin at the heart of the defence. Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie will be the two full-backs, with Fraser Forster continuing to deputise for Vicario.
As for the midfield unit, Yves Bissouma, Pape Matar Sarr, and Dejan Kulusevski are automatic picks, with the latter pulling the strings from the middle of the park. Dominic Solanke will lead the line for Tottenham vs Chelsea, with Brennan Johnson and Son Heung-min completing the numbers in the final third.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Forster; Porro, Romero, Dragusin, Udogie; Kulusevski, Bissouma, Sarr; Johnson, Solanke, Son
Chelsea
Like his counterpart in the Tottenham dugout, Enzo Maresca has a new roster issue hampering his preparations ahead of the trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Chelsea manager will be without four first-team players on Sunday.
Mykhailo Mudryk is the latest absentee due to an illness. The Ukrainian international has joined Reece James (hamstring), Wesley Fofana (thigh), and Omari Kellyman (hamstring) on the sidelines.
Robert Sanchez is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Chelsea lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. The backline should feature Malo Gusto, Axel Disasi, Levi Colwill, and Marc Cucurella.
As for the midfield unit, the resurgent Enzo Fernandez will likely pair up with Moises Caicedo in the double pivot. Cole Palmer will reprise the no. 10 role, with Jadon Sancho and Pedro Neto being the two wide attackers. Finally, there is no looking past Nicolas Jackson as the central striker for Chelsea.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; Gusto, Disasi, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Sancho, Palmer, Neto; Jackson
Key Stats
Tottenham Hotspur have lost eight of their last 11 Premier League clashes vs Chelsea (D2 W1). The Blues have won on five of their seven visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in all competitions (D1 L1).
Tottenham have won just one of their six most recent games in all competitions (D2 L3). The Lilywhites have kept only one clean sheet in their last 22 top-flight home fixtures.
Chelsea are unbeaten in seven games in all competitions, winning the four most recent matches. The Blues have scored 57 times in 22 games this season, the most of any top-flight club.
Five of Tottenham’s six Premier League wins in London derbies under Postecoglou have come at home. On the other hand, Chelsea lost only one of their last 11 top-flight London derbies, winning seven and drawing three.
Son Heung-min has scored only two goals in 19 appearances against Chelsea in all competitions, including none in his last 11 outings.
Player to Watch
Nicolas Jackson
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Nicolas Jackson has turned things around spectacularly this year, proving his naysayers wrong while allaying Chelsea’s need for a top-class striker. While the West London club might still sign another centre-forward, the former Villarreal attacker will start from a position of strength when he has another competitor for his spot.
Meanwhile, Jackson has a fantastic record against Tottenham, scoring four goals in two Premier League meetings, including a hat-trick in the corresponding fixture last season. The Senegalese international will be raring to go after getting some rest earlier this week. Expect another game-changing performance from Jackson.
Prediction
Tottenham Hotspur 1-3 Chelsea
The pressure is mounting on Ange Postecoglou, but winning a London derby might be the antidote to Tottenham’s struggles. However, the North London giants have struggled to keep their opponents at bay in home games this year, conceding the opening goal in 13 of their 16 Premier League matches at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2024.
Chelsea will add to Tottenham’s woes, with Nicolas Jackson and Cole Palmer running riot. While the home side will take the game to the Blues, Dejan Kulusevski might be the lone warrior for them. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for Enzo Maresca and his charges, with the victory closing the gap to Liverpool to five points.