Chelsea take on Tottenham Thursday night in what will be Thomas Tuchel’s first London Derby.
After a fantastic performance against Burnley last time out, the Blues will be hoping to carry that momentum into the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Team News
Tuchel confirmed in his pre-match press conference that Kurt Zouma and Kai Havertz are both doubtful for the match against Spurs. The Chelsea duo suffered small injuries in training Wednesday morning and went inside for some treatment. The rest of the squad is available for the match. (chelseafc.com)
Predicted XI
Edouard Mendy has been the mainstay in the Chelsea team since his arrival in the summer, and he will be needed come Thursday.
With Zouma potentially out injured, we are left with just one spare centre-back in Andreas Christensen. However, a change in formation is still unlikely. Cesar Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva, and Antonio Rudiger will continue as the back three. The trio has looked very comfortable playing together and Tuchel will be hoping to build some consistency. Likewise, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Marcos Alonso will keep their places at right and left wing-back. Hudson-Odoi has been our best player in recent weeks, while Alonso looks right at home in that left wing-back position.
In midfield, things get a little interesting. A good amount of Chelsea supporters aren’t huge fans of Jorginho. Nonetheless, we must admit that he has performed relatively well in our last two games. However, his defensive awareness and turn of pace are not at the level needed to play against Spurs. They thrive on mistakes and turn them into goal-scoring opportunities. As a result, N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic are the picks to start in midfield.
In attack, Giroud will likely start up top. Playing directly behind him will be Christian Pulisic and Mason Mount. Pulisic had an impressive cameo coming from the bench against Burnley, grabbing an assist in the process. While Mount was a constant threat to the Burnley backline, finding pockets of space throughout the game.
Full Predicted XI
Mendy
Azpi, Silva, Rudiger
Hudson-Odoi, Kante, Kovacic, Alonso
Mount, Pulisic
Giroud
