Mauricio Pochettino hosts his former club, Tottenham at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League, with the aim of closing the gap on Newcastle United and Manchester United in the European spots. Chelsea’s task has been made drastically more difficult as Axel Disasi and the departing Thiago Silva are the newest casualties, adding to the now 14-man injury list.
Tottenham are aiming for redemption after a derby day defeat to Arsenal, and a 4-0 battering against Newcastle, has left Ange Postecoglou’s side opening an unwanted gap between themselves and fourth-placed Aston Villa as the race for European football nears its climax.
Neither side was able to stop Arsenal’s title charge in recent weeks, but the two fierce rivals can seriously dampen one another’s league ambitions at Stamford Bridge this evening, as Spurs look for their first away win against Chelsea in six years. Follow live updates from the Premier League match, below and see our Chelsea vs Tottenham prediction here.
Chelsea vs Tottenham – LIVE
The Blues have been wildly inconsistent this season but have had a few big performances against perceived rivals. In the first game between these two London rivals Chelsea ran out 4-1 to hand Ange Postecoglou his first defeat as Spurs manager. It partly derailed Tottenham’s strong opening to the season, but they still remain in contention for the Champions League, while Chelsea are focussed on getting into any European competition right now.
Nathan Edwards2 May 2024 16:45
Why playing Premier League games in the US is the last thing football needs
Miller’s suggestion wasn’t quite the notorious plan of the Premier League’s ‘39th game’ – rejected in 2008 followng a backlash from fans and opposition from Fifa – but you can see the way it’s going. Perhaps of most concern was Miller’s comment that it’s “something we’ll continue to push for”.
These are actually words that all of football should be alert to.
Read Miguel Delaney’s feature on the future of Premier League broadcasting:
Karl Matchett2 May 2024 16:40
Thiago Silva’s Chelsea exit leaves key issue for Mauricio Pochettino to solve
The time has eventually come, Thiago Silva’s Chelsea chapter is soon to close, albeit three years later than expected.
The relatively inexperienced Frank Lampard was the manager who bought him in, but he entered a dressing room filled with leaders and accomplished professionals. Antonio Rudiger, Cesar Azpilicueta, N’Golo Kante, Jorginho and Olivier Giroud were all part of the Blues squad then – compared to now, where he is the only outfield player over 30.
Age isn’t the only qualification for experience, but throughout Silva’s career he has managed to galvanise his teammates while also speaking out against problems or injustices.
In Chelsea’s 2-2 draw against Aston Villa on Saturday, Silva delivered a team talk at half-time that inspired his team to fight back from 2-0 down at Villa Park, and once the Brazilian veteran leaves it is difficult to see who at the club might be able to offer a similar role.
Karl Matchett2 May 2024 16:05
Good afternoon!
Welcome to The Independent’s coverage of this evening’s Premier League action as Chelsea host Tottenham at Stamford Bridge.
This anticipated contest should provide plenty of excitement as well as potentially season-defining consequences for both clubs who are targeting a positive end to the season.
For Chelsea, currently ninth in the table, a victory would send them within three points of Manchester United in sixth and give them a realistic chance of qualifying for one of the European competitions next year despite a topsy-turvy campaign.
Spurs have loftier ambitions and are hoping to secure the final Champions League spot. Aston Villa currently sit in fourth, seven points ahead of Tottenham, but Ange Postecoglou’s men have two games in hand on the Villa and must win both if they hope to make a late charge for Europe’s top-flight.
We’ll have all the team news, line-ups and updates for tonight’s game throughout the afternoon so stick with us as we build up to kick off at 7.30pm.
Mike Jones2 May 2024 10:56