Stamford Bridge will host the first meeting between two “big six” sides this season when Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur lock horns in a heated London derby. Both teams have gotten off to a good start as they won their respective Premier League openers. Tottenham came from behind to destroy Southampton 4-1, while Chelsea avenged their last season’s defeat at Goodison Park with a 1-0 victory over Frank Lampard’s Everton. So, both teams will enter the fray with confidence
Chelsea
Despite the win, Chelsea were not at their absolute best at Goodison Park. It was a sloppy performance from both teams, and the Blues succeeded in grinding out a win through a Jorginho penalty. Thomas Tuchel handed new signings Raheem Sterling and Kalidou Koulibaly a start and introduced his latest summer signing, Marc Cucurella, later on from the bench.
Cucurella did not have much to do after coming on, but Koulibaly cut an authoritative figure in the Chelsea backline throughout the match. Of course, he will face greater challenges in the coming weeks than a striker-less Everton attack, but his debut performance was almost flawless. Raheem Sterling showed in bits and pieces what he is capable of, but Tuchel would want more consistency from him going forward.
Sterling and Koulibaly will retain their places in the starting XI, but Tuchel could rely on Ben Chilwell again at left wingback. So, Marc Cucurella might have to wait longer for his full Chelsea debut. Chelsea don’t have any major injury concerns before welcoming their North London rivals.
Tottenham Hotspur
An early James Ward-Prowse free-kick goal left Spurs stunned, but they responded immediately with Ryan Sessegnon’s debut Premier League goal for the club. After Sessegnon equalized, Eric Dier got his name on the scoresheet for the first time in three years and put Spurs ahead by the half–hour mark. The Lilywhites did not take their foot of the accelerator in the second half as Mohammed Salisu directed an Emerson Royal delivery into his own net before Dejan Kulusevski rounded off the scoreline with a brilliant finish.
After an initial phase of struggle, Tottenham Hotspur have been excellent under Antonio Conte. There has not been this much optimism around the club since the peak- Mauricio Pochettino years. Spurs will hope that Conte will be able to surpass Pochettino’s legacy and guide them to a piece of silverware.
Yves Bissouma will be available to make his full Tottenham debut. But, Conte might choose to stick with the Rodrigo Bentancur and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg partnership that made the Spurs midfield appear so fluid against Southampton. Despite his brilliant performance against the Saints, Ryan Sessegnon might have to make way for Ivan Perišić as Conte might prefer the experience of the Croatian against a formidable Chelsea side. Other than Oliver Skipp, who is still working his way back to match fitness, Conte has a fit squad at his disposal.
Our Prediction
A win in this fixture will come as a massive boost for the ambitions of both of these teams. Spurs have been exceptionally good lately, but they have struggled against Chelsea in the recent past. The Blues did the double over their Sunday evening opponent last season. Considering Chelsea’s strong home form, our top football betting tips experts are expecting a 2-1 Chelsea win.
Our Tip
Chelsea to win @ 2.38
