Chelsea vs Tottenham – News and Probable Lineups

As Xabi Alonso observes from a distance, Chelsea will host their last Premier League home match of the season on Tuesday night against fellow London side Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues face an escalating threat of failing to qualify for European competitions in the 2026-27 season, while the Lilywhites may have an opportunity to secure their status in the Premier League derby.

Match overview

In response to their fourth consecutive FA Cup final defeat, Chelsea announced the signing of Bundesliga Invincible Alonso on a four-year contract less than a day after their 1-0 loss to Manchester City at Wembley.

Calum McFarlane’s squad managed to hold their ground against the treble-chasing Citizens, but the only notable moment of creativity came from Antoine Semenyo, whose clever backheel left Chelsea returning to Stamford Bridge empty-handed.

Though Chelsea likely made a positive impression on the newly arrived Alonso, their inability to overcome the Sky Blues eliminated one potential avenue for European qualification, as they are mathematically out of contention for a top-five finish in the Premier League.

However, Chelsea’s hopes of reaching the Champions League aren’t completely extinguished yet, as McFarlane’s team is currently six points behind Bournemouth in sixth place, which could lead to a spot in the top tier of European competition if Aston Villa finishes fifth and triumphs in the Europa League.

A gutsy 1-1 draw against Liverpool last weekend ended Chelsea’s troubling six-match losing streak in the Premier League, but they stand on the brink of making unwanted history; a loss on Tuesday would mark their first five consecutive league home defeats in history.

Since the 2001-02 season, Chelsea has not lost their last home fixture of the season; that loss 24 years ago was to Aston Villa, who coincidentally defeated Tottenham in the Lilywhites’ latest away match of the 2024-25 season.

Conversely, Roberto De Zerbi’s revitalized squad enters this crucial fixture as the team in form, having achieved their longest unbeaten streak of the Premier League season with two wins and two draws in their last four matches.

Tottenham’s 1-1 draw against Leeds United was a missed opportunity for the Lilywhites; nonetheless, due to their rivals Arsenal’s unexpected win against West Ham United, Tottenham finds themselves two points above the relegation zone ahead of gameweek 37 in the Premier League table.

If the Irons struggle against Newcastle United on Sunday evening and Tottenham emerges victorious at Stamford Bridge, De Zerbi’s squad will officially retain their Premier League status and send West Ham down to the Championship.

Tottenham’s commendable away form makes this scenario plausible, as only Arsenal and Manchester City have secured more away wins in the Premier League than Tottenham’s seven this season, including successive victories at Wolverhampton Wanderers and Aston Villa in their last two away matches.

In their last clash in this fixture, Chelsea edged Tottenham 1-0 during the 2024-25 season, and the Blues’ away win in November marked their fifth consecutive league triumph over Tottenham, who have not won at Stamford Bridge in the top flight since the days of Mauricio Pochettino in 2018.

Team News

Injury added to the disappointment for Chelsea in the FA Cup final, as Joao Pedro seemed to injure his leg in the first half and played through the discomfort before being limited to the sidelines in the 86th minute.

The Barcelona-linked Brazilian now poses a significant injury doubt for Tuesday’s derby, alongside Jesse Derry (head), Estevao Willian (hamstring), Jamie Gittens (thigh), and the suspended Mykhaylo Mudryk, who will all definitely miss out.

On a more positive note, Pedro Neto, Alejandro Garnacho, and Robert Sanchez all participated on Saturday after recovering from their respective issues, with Neto potentially stepping in for Reece James if McFarlane opts not to risk his captain, who has a history of injuries.

Regarding players returning from injuries, Tottenham’s James Maddison made his season debut against Leeds following a long ACL recovery and almost earned a penalty at the end following a challenge by Lukas Nmecha that was ruled fair.

Maddison – who criticized “petrified” referees after the incident – only entered the fray in the 85th minute of the draw against Leeds, so it may still be premature for the playmaker to start full matches.

Meanwhile, Xavi Simons (knee), Wilson Odobert (knee), Dejan Kulusevski (knee), Mohammed Kudus (thigh), and Cristian Romero (knee) are unavailable for the visitors, but none of Dominic Solanke (hamstring), Ben Davies (ankle), or Guglielmo Vicario (hernia) have been ruled out yet.

Chelsea possible starting lineup:

Chelsea probable starting XI

Sánchez; Fofana, Colwill, Hato; Gusto, Caicedo, Fernandez, Cucurella; Palmer, Neto; Delap

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Tottenham Hotspur probable starting XI

Kinsky; Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bentancur, Palhinha; Kolo Muani, Gallagher, Tel; Richarlison

Having given both champions Liverpool and title challengers Manchester City a real challenge, Chelsea has appeared more cohesive since McFarlane implemented his tactical shift; however, their scoring issues – netting only three times in their last seven matches – remain unresolved.

With the influential Pedro potentially sidelined, Tottenham is not expected to face relentless pressure from their foes; nonetheless, a low-scoring draw seems the most plausible outcome as Tottenham’s battle for survival heads to the final day.