Overview
Chelsea will try to forget the disappointment in the FA Cup final when hosting Tottenham who are facing relegation at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues just closed their FA Cup journey with a 0-1 defeat to Manchester City at Wembley, where Antoine Semenyo scored the only goal to help Pep Guardiola's team lift the trophy. That means Chelsea will go through another season empty-handed.
The London team is currently led by interim coach Calum McFarlane in the final stage of the season, before Xabi Alonso officially takes over from July 1. McFarlane's immediate task is to end the 7-match winless streak in the Premier League, including 1 draw and 6 defeats.
The pressure is even greater as Chelsea are facing the risk of losing 5 consecutive home matches in the Premier League for the first time in history. However, their hopes of participating in European cups have not completely closed when the Stamford Bridge team still has a chance to squeeze into the upper group.
Head-to-head history is bringing a lot of confidence to Chelsea. They have beaten Tottenham 38 times in the Premier League, more than any other opponent. The Blues have also won all 5 of their last 5 encounters with Spurs and can equal the 6-game winning streak against the city rivals established in the 2000-2002 period.
In addition, Chelsea has never lost the last home match of a Premier League season since the 1-3 defeat to Aston Villa in the 2001-2002 season.
In the opposite direction, Tottenham is very close to the relegation target. After West Ham lost to Newcastle, Spurs only need to beat Chelsea to officially stay in the Premier League. Even a draw is almost enough thanks to the great goal difference advantage.
Tottenham's form has also improved significantly since Roberto De Zerbi took over the team. Spurs have won 8 points in the last 4 matches, more than the previous 17 matches combined. Notably, the North London team only conceded 1 goal in the first half in 5 matches under De Zerbi, completely opposite to the 11-match consecutive early conceded streak before that.
However, Tottenham still suffered significant personnel losses. Guglielmo Vicario is not fit enough to return, while Dominic Solanke, Cristian Romero, Dejan Kulusevski and Ben Davies also leave open the possibility of playing. Xavi Simons, Mohammed Kudus and Wilson Odobert continue to be absent for a long time.
On Chelsea's side, Jamie Gittens and Estevao are not yet able to play. However, Alejandro Garnacho, Pedro Neto and goalkeeper Robert Sanchez have returned in the match against Man City and are likely to participate in this London derby.
Head-to-head record
Chelsea entered the London derby with Tottenham with great confidence thanks to their superior head-to-head record in the Premier League.
The Blues have won all 5 recent encounters with Spurs in the highest league in England. This winning streak is only less than their best record against Tottenham, when Chelsea once defeated their city rivals 6 consecutive matches from January 2000 to March 2002.
With Tottenham, Chelsea continues to be one of the most difficult opponents in Premier League history. Spurs only lost more against Manchester United (40 matches) than Chelsea (38 matches).
In the first leg in November last year, Chelsea also easily defeated Tottenham 1-0 right at Tottenham Hotspur stadium. Joao Pedro scored the only goal in a game where The Blues completely overwhelmed the opponent.
Score prediction: Chelsea 0-0 Tottenham
The match between Chelsea and Tottenham takes place at 2:15 am on May 20 (Vietnam time).
