Tottenham will host Chelsea in the important midweek encounter of the Premier League 2020-21. Spurs and Chelsea separate each other on goal difference.
Match Timings: Feb 05, 1:30 AM IST
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Spurs and Chelsea lock horns in Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Thursday night to eye important three points. Hosts will enter into this clash with two straight defeats against Liverpool and Brighton. Leandro Trossard’s 17th-minute strike assured three points for Brighton. Spurs have won just three matches of its last 13 top-flight games without Harry Kane. The margin of defeat could have been bigger, but Connolly and Maupay missed opportunities. Tottenham have lost two of their last three home clashes with Chelsea, and visitors are unbeaten against Spurs in the previous four meetings with keeping a clean-sheet in three. Tottenham are the only side to remain unbeaten in London derbies this season, but out of five matches, they have one win, and four matches were drawn.
Without the star player Harry Kane, Tottenham is a team with a low attitude. The Spurs captain has been involved in 23 goals out of 34 Spurs's goals in the Premier League this season, scoring 12 goals and providing 11 assists to his name. He has netted 13 goals with Son Heung-min. Kane will be out for a couple of weeks, and Carlos Vinicius will make a start. Gareth Bale will also take the role of substitute after struggling performance on the south coast. Eric Dier and Serge Aurier could make a return to the side. Sergio Reguilon, Giovani Lo Celso, and Dele Alli will miss out this fixture due to injury.
Meanwhile, Chelsea are only behind Spurs with goal-difference, and three points in away-clash can push them ahead in the table. Thomas Tuchel’s side picked four points from two home matches. They played a goalless draw with Wolves and defeated Burnely 2-0 on Sunday. Chelsea have won nine top-flight games, and in six of those, they have led at half-time, including against Burnley last time. Chelsea defeated Spurs 2-0 in their last visit to Hotspur Stadium.
N’Golo Kante might be back for this fixture. Marcos Alonso and Cesar Azipilicueta will make a start after an excellent show in the last time out. Olivier Giroud will come in, and Christian Pulisic may start in the lineup. Considering that Chelsea is unbeaten in the last four Premier League meetings between the two sides, and Harry Kane will not be there, Blues are favourites to take three points.
Possible Lineups & Current Form
Tottenham
Lloris; Alderweireld, Dier, Rodon; Doherty, Hojbjerg, Sissoko, Davies; Bergwijn, Vinicius, Son
Current form: L L W D W
Previous match: 1-0 defeat against Brighton
Chelsea
Mendy; Azpilicueta, Silva, Rudiger; Hudson-Odoi, Kovacic, Kante, Alonso; Pulisic, Werner; Giroud
Current form: W D L W L
Previous match: 2-0 victory against Burnley
Key Players
Tottenham
Son
12 goals in Premier League 2020-21
Alderweireld
1 goal in Premier League 2020-21
Chelsea
Timo Werner
4 goals in Premier League 2020-21
Oliver Giroud
3 goals in Premier League 2020-21
