Chelsea vs. Tottenham: Preview, Predictions and Lineups

A London derby concludes Saturday’s Premier League slate, as Chelsea welcome Tottenham Hotspur to Stamford Bridge.

The Blues have made discernible progress at the start of Xabi Alonso’s reign and have picked up back-to-back victories after the international break. After thumping Bournemouth 5–1, Alonso’s side secured a gritty victory at the previously unbeaten Everton last weekend.

Pedro Neto’s first Premier League brace on his 187th appearance fired Chelsea to the sort of victory they haven’t enjoyed under BlueCo. Remarkably, it was their first clean sheet in the competition since January, as Alonso’s shift to an asymmetric shape in possession paid dividends.

Spurs, meanwhile, breathed a sigh of relief after securing their maiden Premier League win of the season on Monday night over a Frank Lampard-led Coventry City. Roberto De Zerbi’s side had performed better without just reward earlier in the campaign, but three points were all that mattered for the Lilywhites.

Building on that result will be tough, though, given the club’s wretched record at the Bridge since the Premier League’s inception.

Chelsea vs. Tottenham Score Prediction

Spurs’ Stamford Bridge Misery Continues

Alonso said after last week’s triumph at Hill Dickinson Stadium that he was looking forward to Saturday’s duel, and the Spaniard was complimentary of De Zerbi’s Spurs ahead of the derby.

"I have seen a good team in bad results. We are expecting a tough game. We need to be prepared. Early days for everything," he said in his press conference before the game, with Spurs down in 16th despite claiming a desperately needed win on Monday.

De Zerbi’s side still rank lowly on the xG front, but have notched the most touches in the final third in the division. This is a tidy outfit that’s good between the boxes, yet it’s at both ends of the pitch where matches are decided, and that’s ultimately where Spurs have underwhelmed at the start of the new season.

The visitors will be content with a point here, while Chelsea are targeting a third successive victory.

• Tottenham’s Stamford Bridge record: Spurs’ dreams often cease in SW6. Supporters have been haunted by their trips to Stamford Bridge over the years, with the Lilywhites claiming just one Premier League victory at Chelsea this century. Dele Alli scored twice in a 3–1 victory over Antonio Conte’s Blues in 2018. In fact, that’s the only defeat the Blues have sustained to their London rivals at the Bridge across all competitions since 1990.
• Head-to-head: It’s not just at home where Chelsea have had their way with Tottenham. The hosts have won the previous six meetings, and have also won more games in all competitions against Spurs than they have against any other club (83 wins).
• Hungry forwards: Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers love playing against Spurs. While Palmer has five goal contributions in as many games in this fixture, Rogers notched six in six games against the Lilywhites during his time at Aston Villa. Both have enjoyed productive starts to the season, too, in harmony with leading goalscorer João Pedro.

Prediction: Chelsea 3–1 Tottenham

Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Tottenham

Alonso has confirmed that Malo Gusto is available for Saturday’s derby after missing the trip to Merseyside through illness.

Pep Chavarría remains sidelined for the hosts after sustaining an injury in the warm-up at Everton, so Alonso will likely decide between Marco Palestra and Jorrel Hato at left wing back. Pedro Neto is a certainty to keep his spot after his goalscoring antics last week.

Emiliano Martínez has undergone jaw surgery after his nasty collision at Hill Dickinson Stadium, so young goalkeeper Mike Penders will make his first Premier League start on Saturday.

Reece James is likely to be out until the new year, while Jamie Gittens and Emmanuel Emegha are also absent.

Chelsea predicted lineup vs. Tottenham (3-4-2-1): Penders; Acheampong, Lacroix, Colwill; Neto, Henderson, Caicedo, Palestra; Palmer, Rogers; João Pedro.

Tottenham Predicted Lineup vs. Chelsea

A more cautious approach to recovery hasn’t drastically altered Tottenham’s fortunes on the injury front, with a list of players out of Saturday’s match.

Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert are recovering from ACL tears, while Destiny Udogie, Sávio and Lucas Bergvall are recent additions to the treatment room. Udogie was a surprise absentee against Coventry, and it’s unclear when he’ll be back in action.

Pedro Porro could recover from his hamstring injury in time for the trip to Stamford Bridge, but a start seems unlikely. Archie Gray could deputize for the Spaniard, especially if De Zerbi reverts to a back four.

The Spurs boss insisted that the injuries Andy Robertson and Tosin Adarabioyo sustained on Monday evening won’t keep them out of Saturday’s game. Dejan Kulusevski has also made his long-awaited return from a complicated patella injury that sidelined him for 526 days.

Tottenham predicted lineup vs. Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Kinsky; Gray, Van Hecke, Van de Ven, Robertson; Tonali, Fernandes; Kudus, Maddison, Marmoush; Solanke.

What Time Does Chelsea vs. Tottenham Kick Off?

• Location: London, England
• Stadium: Stamford Bridge
• Date: Saturday, Oct. 24
• Kickoff Time: 12:30 p.m. ET / 9:30 a.m. PT / 5:30 p.m. BST
• Referee: Chris Kavanagh
• VAR: John Brooks

How to Watch Chelsea vs. Tottenham on TV, Live Stream