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Chelsea vs Tottenham LIVE: Latest Premier League team news as Blues face fight to regain top four place

Enzo Maresca’s side look to stay in the Champions League places as they take on 14th-placed Spurs

Chelsea take on Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League tonight, as Enzo Maresca’s side look to land a blow on their rivals in the race for Champions League football.

The Blues began the week in fourth place despite a mixed run form over the last few months, but after Manchester City and Newcastle both picked up wins on Wednesday, they have dropped to sixth ahead of Spurs’s visit.

Any slip up at this point could prove costly in the battle for a spot in Europe’s premier cup competition, with just five points separating Chelsea and 10th-placed Bournemouth ahead of kick-off.

But it doesn’t get any easier for the Blues as they prepare to take on Spurs tonight.

Though Ange Postecoglou’s side started the week in 14th, they still possess the quality to hurt any of the league’s top teams, and this particular rivalry has a track record of producing fireworks in recent seasons.

Follow all the latest build-up and team news from Stamford Bridge below:

Chelsea’s absurd finances are a mess of the Premier League’s making

Even by football’s standards, there was considerable shock. WhatsApps immediately went around executives at the news that Chelsea look to have avoided breaching the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules last season by selling their women’s team and other subsidiaries to the club’s parent company.

The Blues announced a £128.4m profit in their financial results for the year ending June 2024, up from an announced pre-tax losses of £90.1m in the first full year under Todd Boehly's Clearlake Capital consortium, with fans increasingly disgruntled with the ownership.

All of the jokes about what they could next sell to themselves don't seem like jokes anymore. A hotel is one thing. But an actual football team? This is what a club is supposed to be about. It’s the entire raison d’etre.

Chelsea’s absurd finances are a mess of the Premier League’s making

After Chelsea’s latest financial figures sparked controversy, Miguel Delaney discusses how this has happened in the race to beat the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules

Miguel Delaney3 April 2025 18:30

Chelsea and Liverpool eye Dean Huijsen as Bournemouth brace for bids

Chelsea and Liverpool are both aiming to secure the signing of Dean Huijsen this summer, although Real Madrid are monitoring the Spanish centre-half.

The 19-year-old has been one of many Bournemouth revelations this season, as the south-coast club are bracing themselves for huge interest in a good group of inspired signings. Huijsen's situation is made a little simpler, due to the understanding he has a release clause of around £50m.

Both Chelsea and Liverpool have been seeking to sign a new centre-half, and have been simultaneously working on a potential deal to bring the 19-year-old in. While the Stamford Bridge hierarchy are felt to have currently made more progress, Huijsen's future is seen as very much up in the air.

Chelsea and Liverpool eye Dean Huijsen as Bournemouth brace for bids

Real Madrid are also monitoring the centre-half, one of a number of Bournemouth players expected to command interest

Miguel Delaney3 April 2025 18:15

Prediction: Chelsea to have the edge

It was a chaotic match when these two met in December, and both sides’ form has become worse since then, though the hosts are the clear favourites.

The Blues should put in a big performance as they look to take a step closer to Champions League qualification against a rival that they have a good recent record against.

Chelsea 2-1 Tottenham

Will Castle3 April 2025 18:00

Odds for tonight's meeting

Chelsea win - 8/13

Draw - 7/2

Tottenham win - 7/2

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Will Castle3 April 2025 17:45

Predicted line-ups

Chelsea XI: Sanchez; James, Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella; Fernandez, Caicedo; Sancho, Palmer, Madueke; Jackson.

Tottenham XI: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bentancur, Sarr; Johnson, Maddison, Son; Solanke.

Will Castle3 April 2025 17:30

Tottenham team news

Lucas Bergvall missed Sweden’s fixtures in the international break but the Tottenham midfielder is over his illness and may well feature.

While Richarlison is back in training and has an outside chance of involvement, both Dejan Kulusevski and Kevin Danso are a couple of weeks away from a return.

Will Castle3 April 2025 17:15

Chelsea team news

Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke are all in line to return for Chelsea, with Jackson having been out since February - a presence that has been sorely missed at the top of the pitch.

Romeo Lavia is a doubt after the injury-prone midfielder’s latest setback.

Chelsea have no new injury concerns to report elsewhere, although Marc Guiu and Omari Kellyman remain sidelined with their respective long-term injuries.

Will Castle3 April 2025 17:00

Is Chelsea vs Tottenham on TV? Kick-off time, channel and how to watch

The match kicks off at 8pm BST on Thursday 3 April at Stamford Bridge in London.

How can I watch it?

The match will be broadcast live in the UK on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, with coverage starting at 7pm.

Will Castle3 April 2025 16:45

Chelsea vs Tottenham LIVE

Good evening and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of Chelsea’s crucial clash against Tottenham in the Premier League.

The Blues began the week in fourth place despite a mixed run form over the last few months, but after Manchester City and Newcastle both picked up wins on Wednesday, they have dropped to sixth ahead of Spurs’s visit.

Any slip up at this point could prove costly in the battle for Champions League quality, with just five points separating Chelsea and 10th-placed Bournemouth ahead of kick-off.

And while Tottenham are enduring a dire season themselves, languishing in 14th, they still possess the quality to hurt their fierce London rivals.

We’ll have all the action and build-up, right here.

Will Castle3 April 2025 16:30

Chelsea face Tottenham in the final Premier League game of the midweek schedule with the London rivals having plenty to prove at Stamford Bridge on Thursday (8pm, Sky Sports Main Event).

For Chelsea, it is a chance to cement their place in the top four after a ropey run of results, while Spurs are just desperate for a win with just one in their last five matches.

There has been little to cheer about in the Premier League for Spurs this season, but they did reach the semi-finals of the League Cup, before losing to Liverpool, and they are still in with a chance of silverware in the Europa League, where they face Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarter-finals.

When the sides met earlier in the season Spurs let a 2-0 lead slip and lost 4-3 at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, with Cole Palmer scoring twice from the penalty spot.

That was the third win in a row for Chelsea over Tottenham and you have to go back to 2018 for the last time the visitors won this fixture at Stamford Bridge. Christian Eriksen cancelled out Alvaro Morata’s opener for the home side, before Dele Alli scored twice to secure a 3-1 win.

Coming into this game, only relegation-threatened Leicester (10) and Southampton (12) have lost more Premier League away games this season than Tottenham, who are on eight so far and Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou would love to give his fans something to celebrate.

Chelsea vs Tottenham Betting Preview: Blues Hold An Advantage

Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca will be hoping to see more from his side than he did in a recent match against the club’s U21s. The first team lost 3-0, prompting the Blues boss to cancel the squad’s day off.

The fact they have won nine and drawn two of their last 12 meetings with Spurs should give them confidence going into this one, along with the fact that they have won more Premier League games (36) and scored more Premier League goals (120) against Tottenham than they have against any other opponent.

The two sides are separated by 10 places and 15 points, and you would expect this one to be another win for Chelsea. However, so much depends on which Chelsea turns up.

Since being tipped by the media as title contenders in December, following a run of six wins and two draws from eight games, they have struggled to rediscover that kind of form.

Since Christmas, they have won just four Premier League games, just one more than Spurs. That run of form has coincided with a dip in form from Cole Palmer, who has scored just three in his last 14, as well as injuries to Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke.

Football betting sites are can see Chelsea bouncing back to form here, pricing them at 7/10 for the win, while you can get 37/10 on Spurs and 15/4 on a draw.

Chelsea have won by two or more goals in four of the last six matches between these teams and we’re backing them to do the same again on Thursday.

Chelsea vs Tottenham prediction 1: Chelsea to win by two goals - 4/1 Bet365

James To Hit The Target Again

Chelsea captain Reece James scored a superb freekick for England last week, as he played his first game for his country since September 2022.

The 25-year-old opened the scoring for England with a first-half free-kick in a 3-0 World Cup qualifier win over Latvia before Eberechi Eze also netted his first goal for his country.

Eze followed his strike up with another for his club on Saturday as they secured their place in the FA Cup semi-finals, so can James do the same?

James’ last Premier League goal came back in January when he scored in injury time to earn his side a 2-2 draw at home to Bournemouth.

Betting sites are offering 22/1 on him scoring first or last, or 6/1 on him scoring any time.

Chelsea vs Tottenham prediction 2: James to score at any time - 6/1 Bet365

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Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has robustly defended the club's spending strategy just days before a planned fan protest.

The club released its financial results for the year ending June 30, 2024, revealing a 4 per cent dip in revenue to £528.2 million.

This decrease is partly attributed to the absence of European football, which saw match receipts fall from £117.6 million to £105.8 million.

Despite this, Tottenham significantly reduced its losses, reporting a £26.2 million loss compared to £86.8 million the previous year.

Levy referenced the current “highly-challenging season” under Ange Postecoglou, with Spurs in 14th position in the Premier League after a difficult winter period with a plethora of injuries, but talked up the importance of a potential Europa League triumph with Tottenham through to the quarter-finals.

Poor domestic form coupled with a 17-year trophy drought and frustration over spending by owners ENIC has increased disgruntlement among supporters, with another protest planned by fan group Change for Tottenham at Sunday’s home fixture with Southampton.

Spurs chairman Levy said in a statement: “We currently find ourselves in 14th position in the Premier League, navigating what has been a highly-challenging season on the pitch.

“We are, however, in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa League. Winning this competition would see welcome silverware and mean qualification for the UEFA Champions League. We must do everything we can to support the team in these final key stages.

“Since opening our new stadium in April 2019, we have invested over £700million net in player acquisitions. Recruitment remains a key focus, and we must ensure that we make smart purchases within our financial means.

“I often read calls for us to spend more, given that we are ranked as the ninth richest club in the world.

“However, a closer examination of today’s financial figures reveals that such spending must be sustainable in the long term and within our operating revenues. Our capacity to generate recurring revenues determines our spending power.

“We cannot spend what we do not have, and we will not compromise the financial stability of this club – indeed, our off-pitch revenues have significantly supplemented the lower football revenues this year, testament to our diversified income strategy.”

Change for Tottenham arranged a protest ahead of the home fixture with Manchester United on February 13, which resulted in around 2,000 fans marching down the High Road before they gathered outside the stadium.

Chants for Levy to leave the club followed along with several banners being held up.

One read: ‘Our Game Is About Glory, Levy’s Game Is About Greed’.

Spurs placed ninth in Deloitte’s list of the world’s richest clubs, but Tottenham’s spend of 42 per cent of their revenue on wages was the lowest of any team in the top 10. It was also lower than all eight Premier League clubs in Deloitte’s top 20.

Sunday’s latest Change for Tottenham protest has urged supporters to hold up flags at various points of the Southampton match.

Arsenal and Tottenham are set to meet in the first north London derby held outside of the United Kingdom this summer.

The two Premier League rivals will travel to Hong Kong for a preseason friendly at the Kai Tak Stadium on 31 July.

The newly-opened arena can seat 50,000 fans and hosted rugby’s Hong Kong Sevens event this weekend, with Coldplay due to visit in April for the first concert at the venue.

The match will form part of the Hong Kong Football Festival 2025 (HKFF), with Liverpool among the other teams visiting the city.

Ryan Norys, chief revenue officer of Tottenham Hotspur, said: “There are few bigger occasions in English football than a north London derby and to play this fixture in Hong Kong will be a huge occasion for our passionate fanbase across Asia, as well as providing ideal preparation for the team ahead of the new season.

“As is tour tradition, the club will be involved in so much more than the match itself when we visit, supporting charitable causes, celebrating local culture, delivering football clinics for young people and engaging with fans and partners. We cannot wait to visit such a beautiful place once again.”

The new Women's Super League marks the start of a new era for reigning champions Chelsea, with long-serving boss Emma Hayes having departed in summer to start a new adventure with the USA Women's team.

Last year they just about did enough to claim the title on goal difference ahead of Manchester City, while Arsenal will again hope to make it a three-horse race for the WSL title. Meanwhile Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham will hope to progress after further rebuilding this summer.

Crystal Palace were promoted to replace Bristol City in the top flight, while on a wider note, the league is now under the management and operation of a new organisation set up to lead women's football towards further growth and progression, with Nikki Doucet overseeing both the WSL and Championship in a new phase for the game.

Follow the live action below as Leicester City face Tottenham Hotspur today in the WSL:

Andoni Iraola has insisted his full focus is on doing the best job he can for Bournemouth amid links with Tottenham Hotspur.

Speculation has intensified in recent days that the highly-rated Basque manager may emerges as a top target if Spurs part company with Ange Postecoglou in the coming months.

Iraola has done impressive work since arriving on the south coast at the start of last season, with Bournemouth in the chase for European places in the league and targeting a semi-final berth in the FA Cup against Manchester City this weekend.

Postecoglou, conversely, is a man under pressure with Tottenham languishing in 14th in the table.

Iraola did not comment directly on reports linking him to the role, with the Bournemouth boss hopeful of creating history in the quarter-final clash at the Vitality Stadium this weekend.

“I want to do my job the best I can,” Iraola said. “I don’t know how far we can [go], where we will finish. I want to do my job the best I can. If I don’t do the job very well, they will find someone else. It’s like this in every job.

“I’m really happy here. We have a great opportunity to make the semi-finals [of the FA Cup] for the first time in history. That would be amazing for me personally, and for the club, to achieve new heights.

“But we also know that we have to be realistic. There are better teams than us. We have to fight against teams that are very good. We will try to give the best level we have. I don’t know how far we are going to go.”

Victory on Sunday would secure a trip to Wembley for Bournemouth as they seek to continue a strong season.

The hosts beat Pep Guardiola’s side for the first time in their history in the Premier League in November and Iraola is hopeful that his side can repeat the feat.

“The draw we cannot change, once it is finished it is what we have. We are in a different moment, we hope we are close to the level we gave that day [in November], it is the only way we have a chance.

“I think we have a big opportunity this weekend, anyone who steps on the pitch has to be ready to give everything, and even that might not be enough to beat City. The work for everyone is huge, but the chance to play at Wembley - for City it is less important as they play there a lot, but for us it is huge."

Iraola has been given a clean bill of health with his squad, though Marcus Tavernier is unable to play 90 minutes as is thus likely to be included on the bench.

Former Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen has announced that he will retire from professional football at the end of the season.

It comes a year after the Anderlecht captain called time on his international career with Belgium, retiring as the nation’s record appearance holder with 157 caps.

Vertonghen wrote himself into Spurs folklore during an eight-year spell in North London, making 315 appearances between 2012 and 2020.

He is most vividly remembered by Premier League fans for making up one half of a formidable centre-back partnership with fellow compatriot Toby Alderweireld that acted as the backbone of the side that reached the Champions League final in 2019.

Vertonghen, now 37, cited a daily struggle brought about by an accumulation of injuries as the reason for hanging up his boots - something which has plagued his season with Anderlecht, limited to only five appearances.

"During all those months on the sidelines, I had time to reflect,” he said in a press conference on Tuesday. “I quickly came to the conclusion that I wouldn't be able to play a full year at the level I wanted. I constantly suffer from ankle pain, so the decision was quite easy to make.

"I've seen about 10 specialists this year who assured me the pain would go away. But the pain is daily, and just walking up the stadium stairs hurts. I have to warm up for a very long time before I can play.

"I take painkillers and have had several injections, but I'm not a fan of that kind of shock treatment. I don't want to be dependent on painkillers. I feel like I'll still be welcome at every club I've played for, and that makes me proud, as does the fact that I've been able to discover many different countries and cultures."

Vertonghen was tipped for stardom at Ajax after breaking through as a teenager and spent six years in the first-team setup, before earning a move to Tottenham in the summer of 2012.

There, he established his name in the upper echelons of English football, being named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year twice during his near-decade stay at Spurs.

After becoming a free agent in the summer of 2020, he moved to Portuguese giants Benfica before returning to his homeland to play for Anderlecht in 2022, where he was quickly awarded the captaincy.

Vertonghen will now bid farewell to the professional game, but has vowed to go out on a high ahead of the Belgian Pro League’s hotly-anticipated championship play-offs.

“For the next 11 games, these eight to 10 weeks, I'll try to give it my all and hopefully experience some beautiful moments together,” Vertonghen added.

“But then the journey ends and that hasn't been an easy decision, but it's a decision I have to take and I feel it's the right time. We'll do everything we can to make it a fantastic ending.”

The new Women's Super League marks the start of a new era for reigning champions Chelsea, with long-serving boss Emma Hayes having departed in summer to start a new adventure with the USA Women's team.

Last year they just about did enough to claim the title on goal difference ahead of Manchester City, while Arsenal will again hope to make it a three-horse race for the WSL title. Meanwhile Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham will hope to progress after further rebuilding this summer.

Crystal Palace were promoted to replace Bristol City in the top flight, while on a wider note, the league is now under the management and operation of a new organisation set up to lead women's football towards further growth and progression, with Nikki Doucet overseeing both the WSL and Championship in a new phase for the game.

Follow the live action below as West Ham United face Tottenham Hotspur today in the WSL:

Tottenham’s 1984 UEFA Cup winner Mark Falco has told the current team the lows of this season will quickly be forgotten if they win a trophy.

Spurs are 14th in the Premier League after a dismal domestic campaign, which has increased the scrutiny on Ange Postecoglou, who struggled with an injury crisis throughout the winter months.

The only chance for Tottenham to salvage this campaign is Europa League success, with a quarter-final tie with Eintracht Frankfurt on the horizon for April after they produced a comeback victory to beat AZ Alkmaar earlier this month.

Falco was a key part of a Keith Burkinshaw side who went all the way in the UEFA Cup in a 1983-84 season which also provided challenges.

Tottenham eventually finished eighth in the old First Division after injuries to influential figures like Glenn Hoddle and Falco believes it can serve as a lesson for Postecoglou’s squad.

“No, you forget all the aches and pains, the testing times, that evaporates and drifts away because you have a big smile on your face and you can say you’ve done well. If they can do it this year, I would be so proud and pleased as punch,” Falco told the PA news agency.

“We’ve played some great football and we just need to get the team back together. It’s coming gradually and the injuries are being patched.

“Hopefully we can get the whole team and squad back together firing on all cylinders.”

Similarities can be drawn between the heroes of 1984 and modern-day Tottenham with both teams struggling throughout December and March of their respective seasons.

The two sides also exited the FA Cup at the start of February, but Falco recalled how it was all worth it after a successful penalty shootout win over Anderlecht in the second leg of the final at White Hart Lane clinched what has proved to be the club’s last European trophy to date.

Falco added: “It was quite a gruelling season but it all came good and to win the trophy at the end of it was a good reward for all the efforts the boys put in.

“To win the actual trophy in front of your own fans, on the last kick with a penalty save by Tony Parks, it is one you write down and say it can’t happen because it is Hollywood stuff, but to win a trophy and a European trophy at our own ground was magnificent.

“It was a great achievement for all the boys because there was nearly eight home-grown or not-big signings in the final team, so it was a quite a local and great thing for the club to put young talent in at the time.”

Sunday will give Falco the chance to return to his old stomping ground as a Spurs Legends XI face AC Milan Glorie at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Falco is excited to play at the 62,850-seater venue again after he featured against Inter Milan Legends in 2019, which serves as a good omen.

“Well, my knees are gone and my back is shot but other than that I am great,” Spurs’ 89-goal forward Falco joked.

“People know I am a lifelong Spurs fan and my family are so to put a Spurs shirt on and get out at the main stadium is unbelievable, especially at the rip old age of 64!

“We got to the (Champions League) final the last time we had a friendly against Inter Milan, so hopefully we can go one better and win this year after playing AC.”

:: Mark Falco will be playing for Spurs Legends vs. AC Milan Glorie on Sunday in aid of the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation. Tickets available at http://tottenhamhotspur.com/legendstickets

The new Women's Super League marks the start of a new era for reigning champions Chelsea, with long-serving boss Emma Hayes having departed in summer to start a new adventure with the USA Women's team.

Last year they just about did enough to claim the title on goal difference ahead of Manchester City, while Arsenal will again hope to make it a three-horse race for the WSL title. Meanwhile Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham will hope to progress after further rebuilding this summer.

Crystal Palace were promoted to replace Bristol City in the top flight, while on a wider note, the league is now under the management and operation of a new organisation set up to lead women's football towards further growth and progression, with Nikki Doucet overseeing both the WSL and Championship in a new phase for the game.

Follow the live action below as Tottenham Hotspur face Brighton & Hove Albion today in the WSL: