Chelsea and Tottenham are competing for a place in the final of the EFL Cup where they are almost certain to play against Manchester City who beat Burton 9:0 in the first leg. Speaking of the first leg, the first match that the Blues and the Spurs played ended in the favor of the latter. The score was 1:0, meaning that Chelsea are the ones who need a win at the Stamford Bridge on Thursday. Can they do it? Find it out in this Chelsea vs Tottenham prediction!
Chelsea
Chelsea have a wonderful team, there’s no doubt about it, but their recent form hasn’t been that impressive. The thing is that they’re having problems finding the net. They scored only 4 games in total in the last 5 rounds. Furthermore, they’re the team with the least number of goals in the league out of the teams from the Top 6. On top of everything, Chelsea haven’t scored more than 2 goals per game since November when they beat PAOK 4:0.
The reason why they haven’t been impressive in the final third is that their central forwards have been out of form. Alvaro Morata has scored 5 goals in 15 matches, while Olivier Giroud has only 1 goal to his name, even though he’s played 18 fixtures.
Because of the poor form of the central forwards (and their struggles with fitness), Chelsea manager Mauricio Sarri has decided to leave them on the bench and assign Eden Hazard the role of the false nine. Unfortunately, this still hasn’t paid off. The best Chelsea player is without a goal for 6 matches in a row.
The problems with scoring are probably going to end if Higuain signs for Chelsea. But, even if he agrees on a move, he still won’t be eligible for this Thursday’s cup game. The Blues will have to do without him. And this means that all eyes will once again be on Eden Hazard.
Tottenham
The Spurs are expected to defend with all they got in this game. The reason is not just that they have an advantage from winning the first leg; it’s also because they have serious problems with absentees in the final third. Therefore, a much more sensible solution is to try to protect the net.
Speaking of absentees, the biggest problem is Harry Kane’s injury. One of the best strikers in England is going to be out of the squad till February. At the same time, Son is going to miss the Thursday’s game due to obligations in his national team.
This means that Llorente will probably have to play in the final third, probably together with Lucas and Lamela, both of whom are struggling with fitness lately. Unfortunately for Spurs fans, that’s not all. Dele Alli is also injured, same as Sissoko and Wanyama.
Team News
Chelsea absentees:
- Ruben Loftus-Cheek (injury)
Tottenham absentees:
- Harry Kane (injury)
- Lucas (injury)
- Mousa Sissoko (injury)
- Victor Wanyama (injury)
- Dele Alli (injury)
- Heung-Min Son (national duty)
Possible Lineups
Chelsea
Kepa – Luiz, Rudiger, Azpilicueta, Alonso – Kante, Jorginho, Kovacic – Pedro, Willian, Hazard
Tottenham
Gazzaniga – Sanchez, Alderweireld, Trippier, Rose – Dier, Winks, Eriksen, Skipp – Lamela, Llorente
Chelsea vs Tottenham Prediction
This seems like a good opportunity for Chelsea to bounce back from a sort of poor form they’ve been having since the start of the year. Winning this would get them to the final of the League Cup, but more importantly, would also give them a mental boost for the rest of the season. Therefore, I think they’ll be very motivated to win this.
Chelsea vs Tottenham Betting Tips
- Chelsea @1.66 (1XBet)
- Chelsea to Quality for the Final @2.00 (Unibet)