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Chelsea vs Tottenham predicted XI: Tuchel’s best for Conte’s return

By Vansh Ambashta

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 12: Romelu Lukaku of Chelsea is challenged by Japhet Tanganga of Tottenham Hotspur during the Carabao Cup Semi Final Second Leg match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on January 12, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 12: Romelu Lukaku of Chelsea is challenged by Japhet Tanganga of Tottenham Hotspur during the Carabao Cup Semi Final Second Leg match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on January 12, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) /
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Chelsea’s German defender Antonio Rudiger celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the second leg of the English League Cup semi final football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, in London on January 12, 2022. (Photo by GLYN KIRK/IKIMAGES/AFP via Getty Images)
Chelsea’s German defender Antonio Rudiger celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the second leg of the English League Cup semi final football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, in London on January 12, 2022. (Photo by GLYN KIRK/IKIMAGES/AFP via Getty Images) /

Chelsea has struggled to cope with the pressure of a packed schedule in December and January. Players are playing out of position, there is no momentum at all and things look pretty bad at Chelsea at the current time with COVID cases and multiple injuries in the squad.

Here’s a look at the expected starting XI for Sunday’s match against Spurs:

Kepa Arrizabalaga (No. 1) Goalkeeper, Spain

Kepa Arrizabalaga has done well in the absence of Edouard Mendy. His distribution has been accurate in the past few games, except the Manchester City match. The Spaniard had eight long balls against Brighton and seven were accurate. Similarly, he attempted eight long balls against Spurs in the Carabao Cup second leg and six of them were accurate. It is good to see Arrizabalaga grow in confidence and command his box correctly. He has risen to the occasion recently, and Chelsea will hope that he manages to ensure a clean sheet against Tottenham.

Cesar Azpilicueta (No. 28) Right back, Spain

Cesar Azpilicueta has played in a number of positions over the past month or so as injuries and COVID-19 have hit the Blues hard. He has consistently put in dynamic shifts, but the team has been struggling in general. The Spaniard’s crossing hasn’t been great and it is clear that the Blues need reinforcements in the wider positions. He attempted two crosses against Manchester City, and neither was accurate. Similarly, he tried five crosses against Brighton and only one was accurate. This is worrying for Tuchel as Chelsea has a towering forward in the form of Romelu Lukaku in the box and the crossing needs to be better. Expect Azpiliceuta to put in another consistent shift in a four-at-the-back system.

Thiago Silva (No. 6) Centreback, Brazil

Thiago Silva is a blessing for Chelsea at the moment. The Brazilian has kept the back line calm in these turbulent times and he has done everything he can at the back. While he didn’t have a great game against City, his presence is essential on the pitch. The Blues are struggling to gather any momentum, and the players are tired and exhausted. They need their leader to refocus on the task at hand and ensure three points tomorrow.

Antonio Rudiger (No. 2) Centreback, Germany

Antonio Rudiger started in an unfamiliar position against City as the right-sided centerback. The impact of his performance was exponentially lesser than his performances on the left. Due to the absence of starting wingbacks in the form of Ben Chilwell and Reece James, it is wise to find a system that suits the current crop of players in the squad. It would be interesting to see how Tuchel sets up his side against Spurs, and a back four might be the way to go about it.

Marcos Alonso (No. 3) Left back, Spain

Marcos Alonso is another player who seems genuinely exhausted on the pitch. In Chilwell’s absence, the workload on Alonso has increased quite a bit, and his performances haven’t been great. However, it is essential to understand that Alonso is the specialist in the left-sided position, and the club doesn’t have too many options at the moment. Expect Alonso to start against Spurs as his link-up with the forwards will be essential for the Blues.

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