Overview
After their fourth consecutive defeat in the FA Cup final, Chelsea quickly reacted by officially appointing Xabi Alonso with a 4-year contract, less than 24 hours after the 0-1 defeat to Manchester City at Wembley.
Under the guidance of interim coach Calum McFarlane, Chelsea played on par with Man City - who still had a chance to complete the domestic treble. However, the moment of difference belonged to Antoine Semenyo with a classy backheel that helped Man City win.
Despite the defeat, Chelsea still left a positive impression in Alonso's eyes before the Spanish strategist officially took over the team.
Chelsea has officially run out of opportunities to compete in the top 5 Premier League - the direct path to winning tickets to the Champions League.
However, the hope of participating in the Champions League for the Stamford Bridge team is not completely closed. The Blues are currently 6 points behind Bournemouth in sixth place and still have a chance to win a ticket to the number one European tournament if Aston Villa finishes the season in the top 5 and wins the Europa League.
In the most recent round, Chelsea just had a brave 1-1 draw against Liverpool, thereby ending a 6-match losing streak in the Premier League. However, the London team is still facing the risk of setting a forgettable milestone in club history. If they lose to Tottenham, Chelsea will lose for the first time in 5 consecutive home matches in the national championship.
Since the 2001-2002 season, Chelsea has never lost the last home match of a Premier League season. The last time that happened was a defeat to Aston Villa 24 years ago.
On the other side, Tottenham under Roberto De Zerbi is showing positive form right in the decisive stage. The North London team is currently unbeaten in 4 consecutive matches with 2 wins and 2 draws.
Despite being held to a 1-1 draw by Leeds United in the previous round, Tottenham still has a great advantage in the relegation race after Newcastle defeated West Ham. Spurs are currently 2 points ahead of West Ham and have played one match less. If they beat Chelsea, they will definitely successfully stay in the league.
Away form is a big strength for Tottenham. Only Arsenal and Man City have won more away wins than Spurs this season. De Zerbi's team has won consecutively against Wolves and Aston Villa in the last two away games.
However, the history of head-to-head matches at Stamford Bridge does not favor Tottenham. Chelsea defeated Spurs 1-0 in a match similar to last season, and the victory at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in November last year marked The Blues' fifth consecutive win against their city rivals in the Premier League.
Tottenham has also never won against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in England's highest division since Mauricio Pochettino in 2018.
Personnel situation
Injury issues continue to give Chelsea more headaches after the FA Cup final defeat.
Joao Pedro seemed to have a leg problem right in the first half of the match against Man City. The Brazilian striker tried to continue playing in pain before being forced to leave the field in the 86th minute.
On Tottenham's side, James Maddison just made his first appearance this season in a draw against Leeds United after a long period of recovery from a anterior cruciate ligament injury.
However, the recent return after a long-term injury makes the possibility of Maddison starting against Chelsea still quite low.
Expected lineup:
Chelsea: Sanchez, Fofana, Colwill, Hato, Gusto, Caicedo, Fernandez, Cucurella, Palmer, Neto, Delap.
Tottenham: Kinsky, Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Udogie, Bentancur, Palhinha, Kolo Muani, Gallagher, Tel, Richarlison.
The match between Chelsea and Tottenham takes place at 2:15 a.m. on May 20 (Vietnam time).
