Chelsea football returns after 18 long days coming off a 1-0 loss at the Emirates to Arsenal as Enzo Maresca's side looks to bounce back against their other North London rival, Tottenham. With just nine games remaining in the season, every point counts for the Blues in one of the tighter Top 4 races in recent memory. After results during mid week games, Newcastle and Man City both won on Wednesday, putting them both atop Chelsea in fourth and fifth place respectively. If Chelsea want UCL football next year, Thursday is a MUST win.
Chelsea won an instant classic last time these two sides met at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. After allowing two goals largely due to Marc Cucurella slipping. Jadon Sancho and Enzo Fernandez both smashed brilliant finishes into the lower corners past Tottenham keeper Fraser Foster. Those combined with two penalties from Cole Palmer, one being a cheeky Panelka, silenced the Hotspur faithful. Since that game Chelsea have turned their season around , not in a positive way. Since that victory, Chelsea have accumulated just 27 points out of a possible 45. Tottenham enter in the midst of a injury ridden woeful season, entering in 14th place with a disappointing 15 losses to their name.
Chelsea's final four matches of the season feature three teams in the top five, with two difficult matchups away to Newcastle and Nottingham Forest, as well as hosting eventual Premier League winners Liverpool and longtime rival Manchester United. While that is arguably the hardest four game stretch any premier league has had to face this year, it all means nothing if they can't get through the month of April; and that starts Thursday against Spurs.
How to Watch Chelsea vs. Spurs live, stream link and start time
Kick Off: 8pm (UK); 3pm (EST) Thursday April 4
Venue: Stamford Bridge
TV/Stream: Peacock, Sky Sports
Tottenham Team News:
Dutch International Centerback Micky Van De Ven is still questionable to start coming off another hamstring injury. Spurs are playing it careful due to his recurring injury history, especially with hamstrings. Midfielder Lucas Bergvall is overcoming an illness and also should feature in Thursday's fixture. Dejan Kulusevski, Kevin Danso, Richarlison and Radu Dragusin all have been ruled unavailable by the club.
Chelsea Team News:
The international break could not have come at a better time for Chelsea, as many players used the time to recover from injuries. Enzo Maresca confirmed attackers Nico Jackson, Cole Palmer, and Noni Madueke are all available for selection. Palmer can play a full 90 minutes, while Nico and Noni cannot but are able to start. Maresca also mentioned that midfielder Romeo Lavia suffered another setback in recent days, making him--once again--unavailable. Chelsea have benefited from players coming back from injuries in recent games such as Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile. Omari Kellyman, Marc Guiu, and Romeo Lavia all remain out due to injury, while Mykhailo Mudryk also remains out due to suspension.
Match Prediction:
Enzo Maresca's side needed a break to reset and refocus, expect them to come out firing. While Tottenham will never roll over, Chelsea should have their way with Spurs. The Chelsea trio returning from injury (Jackson, Madueke, Palmer) all should have an impact in their return. Nico Jackson finding the back of the net would let the bridge on fire, and I think that's what's going to happen.
Chelsea 3-1 Tottenham.