Chelsea vs Tottenham – News and Probable Lineups

Tottenham Hotspur aims to build on their initial victory of the Premier League season as they head to Stamford Bridge for a captivating London derby against Chelsea on Saturday evening.

The previous encounter between these two clubs took place just over five months ago, resulting in a 2-1 victory for the Blues at home, with goals from former midfield pair Enzo Fernandez and Andrey Santos.

Match overview

Chelsea has recorded four wins, one draw, and two losses in their first seven Premier League fixtures, with back-to-back uplifting wins against Bournemouth and Everton propelling them into the top four of the league standings.

The Blues enjoyed a resounding 5-1 triumph at home against Bournemouth, followed by a 2-0 victory on the road against Everton last weekend. Pedro Neto scored two goals against the Toffees, while Chelsea ended their unwanted streak of 22 matches without a Premier League clean sheet.

Xabi Alonso remarked on the ‘very professional and serious’ display on Merseyside, and he now hopes his team can build on their recent achievements by stringing together three consecutive wins in the top flight for the first time since February.

With 17 goals scored this season, Chelsea trails only Brighton (23) and leaders Manchester City (19) in terms of Premier League goals. They enter Saturday’s matchup against Tottenham having lost just one of their last 16 London derbies in the top flight at Stamford Bridge.

The West London side is on the verge of making history, currently in a six-match winning streak in league play against the Lilywhites. A win on Saturday would surpass their existing record of six straight league victories over their rivals, a record initially set between January 2000 and March 2002.

All 20 Premier League teams have now celebrated a win this season, after Tottenham concluded a dismal six-game winless streak by defeating Coventry City 3-1 in North London, thanks to goals from James Maddison, Omar Marmoush, and Ben Davies.

This essential victory for Roberto De Zerbi’s team marked only their fourth win in the Premier League in 2026 (P27 D10 L13). Importantly, it was the first time in 36 top-flight matches that Tottenham managed to score more than two goals – a significant relief for a team that barely avoided relegation last season.

Currently sitting 16th in the standings but just three points away from the top nine, Tottenham has only accomplished back-to-back league victories twice since the previous season began, and history suggests they may struggle to secure a win at Stamford Bridge this weekend.

Indeed, Tottenham has won only one of their last 36 trips to Stamford Bridge in the Premier League (D11 L24), which was a 3-1 victory in the 2017-18 season under Mauricio Pochettino.

The Lilywhites have gathered just two points from their last eight visits to Stamford Bridge (D2 L6) and have also lost their last six London derbies in the league; they have never experienced seven consecutive losses in such matches before.

Team News

Due to a fractured jaw sustained during the win against Everton, Chelsea goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has undergone surgery and is now joined in the treatment room by Reece James (knee), Jamie Gittens (ankle), Pep Chavarria, and Emmanuel Emegha (both unspecified). Meanwhile, Malo Gusto (illness) remains a doubt for the match.

In Martinez’s absence, 21-year-old Mike Penders is set to become the youngest goalkeeper in Chelsea’s history to start a Premier League match, with the towering 6ft 7in keeper likely to have a three-man defensive line of Josh Acheampong, Maxence Lacroix, and Levi Colwill in front of him.

Cole Palmer has been involved in five goals across as many league fixtures against Tottenham (three goals, two assists), while Joao Pedro has netted three times in three top-flight encounters with the Lilywhites. Both players are poised to lead a formidable front three alongside Morgan Rogers.

For Tottenham, Rodrigo Bentancur will serve the second of a three-match suspension and will be unavailable along with injured players Mykhaylo Mudryk (ankle), Xavi Simons, Wilson Odobert, Lucas Bergvall (all knee), and Savio (muscle).

Destiny Udogie (knee) missed the win over Coventry, and a late decision will determine his availability for Saturday’s match. Pedro Porro (hamstring), Omar Marmoush, Tosin Adarabioyo (both calf), and Andrew Robertson (unspecified) are also minor doubts.

Former Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher is likely to be vying for a return to the lineup and may feature alongside Sandro Tonali and Maddison, while Dejan Kulusevski is back after more than 500 days sidelined. Nevertheless, Mohammed Kudus is expected to be preferred to start on the right flank.

Chelsea probable starting XI:

Penders; Acheampong, Lacroix, Colwill; Neto, Caicedo, Henderson, Hato; Palmer, Rogers; Peter Peter.

Tottenham Hotspur probable starting XI:

Kinsky; Gray, Van Hecke, Van de Ven, Udogie; Gallagher, Tonali; Kudus, Maddison, Marmoush; Solanka

Both sides come into this Stamford Bridge clash in high spirits after their recent victories, though Chelsea is still regarded as the clear favorite, given their historically strong home performances against Tottenham.

Having scored at least two goals in seven of their last 10 meetings with Spurs, we anticipate that Alonso’s high-scoring Blues will again exhibit their offensive prowess, outpacing the visitors to secure all three points.