In an all-London affair Tottenham Hotspur host Chelsea in the EFL Cup fourth round on Tuesday night (7:45pm kick-off).
Jose Mourinho’s men were scheduled to play Leyton Orient in the previous round last week but the match was called off after a number of Orient players tested positive for Covid-19. With the congested schedule to contend with Spurs were ultimately given a bye into the fourth round by the English Football League.
Chelsea, meanwhile, made light work of their home match against Barnsley, slotting six past the Championship club with no response, and Frank Lampard will be hoping for some more success in the cup to ease the pressure of another frustrating Premier League result at the weekend.
The Blues had to come from 3-0 down to rescue draw against West Brom, while Spurs also picked up just the single point in a disappointing stalemate against Newcastle. With angst creeping in on both sides, this midweek affair should offer the perfect platform to lay it all out, gain bragging rights in the capital and inch closer to silverware.
Where to watch Tottenham vs Chelsea on TV:
- UK: Sky Sports Football & Sky Sports Main Event
- US: ESPN+
Tottenham & Chelsea’s previous line-ups:
- Tottenham (vs Newcastle): Lloris; Doherty, Sanchez, Dier, Davies; Hojbjerg, Winks, Lo Celso; Son, Lucas; Kane
- Chelsea (vs West Brom): Caballero; James, Christensen, Silva, Alonso; Kante, Kovacic, Hudson odoi; Mount, Werner, Giroud.
Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech are nearing returns to full fitness but this game comes a tad too soon for the duo. Billy Gilmour meanwhile remains a long-term absentee with a knee complication, but Ben Chilwell and Edouard Mendy will at least be part of the squad.
This match has also come too soon for Gareth Bale, who was pictured in the stands as Spurs came up short against Newcastle. Son Heung-min came off at half time against the Magpies with Mourinho confirming the South Korean suffered a hamstring injury, ruling him out “for a while”.
Players to watch:
- Tottenham: Harry Kane will want to be pushing for a third Golden Boot this season, but so far, the England international has been showcasing his playmaker exploits, providing five assists in just three matches. He was the chief creator against Southampton, assisting Son for each of his four goals at St Mary’s, while he also teed up Lucas for his first of the campaign in the 1-1 draw with Newcastle. With the prospect of Bale lining up alongside Kane, the Real Madrid loanee could conceivably net close to 20 league goals if his English counterpart continues to thread passes with such grace. Kane won’t have the luxury of turning to Bale for the midweek clash with Chelsea, but he will looking to play a pivotal role in deciding the outcome of this tie nonetheless, especially against a defence that proved weak against West Brom.
- Chelsea: Frank Lampard is yet to hit the right notes in the Stamford Bridge dugout, but he will be hoping to find some rhythm and fluidity in the coming weeks as he gets to know his squad better, having spent over £200m on new signings in the summer. One player who could prove a difference-maker this term is Thiago Silva, who made his Premier League debut at the weekend but flattered to deceive as West Brom put three past Willy Caballero before half-time. A mistake led to Callum Robinson’s second of the afternoon but the Brazilian will be chomping at the bit to get back on the turf and rectify his mistakes.