Sunday Premier League – Chelsea vs Tottenham Hotspur Preview

April 1st 2018 16:00 – Stamford Bridge

Recent Form (League):

Chelsea: LWLLW

Tottenham: DWWWW

The race for Champions League qualification hots up as Chelsea entertain Tottenham in Sunday’s all London derby.

Antonio Conte’s side have had a tough time defending their title this season. They currently occupying fifth place but can move to within two points of the top four with a win against Tottenham on Sunday. Their recent form has not been great with only two wins in their last six league games, but Spurs have not recorded a win at The Bridge for 29 years, which equates to 27 league games.

Conte will be hoping that their recent morale-boosting 2-1 extra-time win over Leicester in the FA Cup to set up a semi-final with Southampton, will be the springboard to make a run for the top four. European football is no longer a distraction after defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League, so Chelsea’s sole attention will be on this game.

The Italian coach could opt for Eden Hazard in the ‘false nine’ role, although Alvaro Morata scored his first goal of 2018 against Leicester last time out, and Olivier Giroud also found the target for France during the international break, giving Conte a selection headache.

Tottenham’s winless run at Stamford Bridge is the longest of any team at any ground in the Premier League. To make matters worse, Mauricio Pochettino’s men will have to defy the odds without star striker Harry Kane who is missing with an ankle injury. Spurs have won 59% of their PL matches in which Harry Kane has featured, compared with 39% when he has not, emphasising the importance the England striker has for his club side.

Like their opponents, Spurs also have a FA Cup semi-final to look forward but no European football on their agenda after Champions League defeat to Italian side Juventus. This match could have a massive bearing on the race for European qualification as a win leaves Spurs eight points clear of Chelsea, while defeat would reduce the gap to just two points.

After a run of nine games in all competitions without a goal, Son Heung-Min has scored seven in his last five for Tottenham and will need to continue that form if Spurs are to defy the odds and grab all three points.

Prediction: Spurs have won more points in Premier League London derbies than any other side this season, but history and the absence of Kane are against them.

Back a Chelsea win with less than 2.5 goals at 7/2 with Betfair.

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