- Chelsea and Tottenham met in the first leg of the EFL Cup semis.
- The Blues are coming off a draw against Liverpool.
- Meanwhile, Tottenham managed to beat Watford in the closing moments of the event.
Chelsea and Tottenham can save the season if they win at least one trophy, and judging by the current situation, EFL Cup is the only place where they have solid chances for lifting the same.
The first leg of the EFL Cup promises a lot of fun, especially because these two sides enjoy a big rivalry.
Chelsea vs Tottenham Schedule
- Where: Stamford Bridge, London, England
- When: Wednesday, January 5, 2:45 pm ET
- How to Watch: NBC Sports
Chelsea vs Tottenham Odds
| Chelsea | Draw | Totenham |
|---|---|---|
| +100 | +250 | +275 |
Blues Under Pressure
Chelsea isn’t losing games, but on the other side, they aren’t winning too often. Tuchel’s unit posted four draws and three wins in the last seven events, which isn’t that impressive at all. The last-minute equalizer Brighton netted at Stamford was a huge morale-killer, and on top of that, other things aren’t working in Chelsea’s favor.
Romelu Lukaku wants out, and it seems that Tuchel removed the Belgian international off the roster for the upcoming matches. According to the sources from the English media, even though the management disagrees with the decision, the German isn’t counting on the prolific striker anymore.
Blues defense hasn’t been up to the task in recent times, especially at home, where they’ve allowed a goal in the past five games.
Conte’s Solid Start
The Italian didn’t lose since taking over Tottenham, and the Spurs posted solid results ever since. The Christmas and the New Year’s stretch ended good for the team from North London, who posted three wins and a draw (vs. Southampton on the road) during that time, concluding it with a win in Watford, 0-1.
The hero of this one was Davinson Sanchez, who scored a game-winner in the sixth minute of the stoppage time, thus bringing a massive boost before the upcoming challenges.
We need to add, that even though Conte prefers attacking-minded football, Tottenham already has four clean sheets under the Italian’s guidance. Also, the most frequent outcome in terms of efficiency is moderate, meaning 2 or 3 goals.
Head to Head Games
The season’s first meeting ended with Chelsea’s massive win 0-3. After boring opening 45 minutes, Chelsea scored three hits in the second half – Silva, Kante, and Rudiger. As you can see, all these guys are defensive-minded players, but they brought a win for the Blues.
Prediction
Considering that this is only the first of two meetings, we don’t expect to see some open and offensive-minded approaches from either manager. Conte likes to play on counter-attacks, and Tuchel knows that, therefore, we might expect cautious game plans. Our pick here would be a moderate efficiency, meaning two or three goals, with the current odds for such suggestion sitting at +105, which is a great bargain. For those who want something else, a draw at halftime is the best option.
Pick: 2 or 3 goals +105
