Prediction: Chelsea vs Tottenham

Verdict: Both teams to score

Best Odds: 4/5

Bookmaker: Unibet

In what is a real London derby on Wednesday night, Chelsea will welcome Tottenham to Stamford Bridge with a spot in the final of this year’s EFL Cup up for grabs.

Chelsea

Starting with the hosts, while Chelsea might have found themselves dealing with some issues behind the scenes over the past few days, the Blues did mount an eye-catching comeback on Sunday afternoon. Coming from behind against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge and eventually feeling that they deserved to leave with more than their 2-2 draw, Thomas Tuchel will be desperate for his side to build off of those positives. However, still sat 10 points adrift of defending champions Manchester City in the Premier League title chase, the Blues have shown some issues on either side of the New Year. Winning just a trio of their last eight matchups from across all formats, the former PSG boss has also seen his side become a real stalemate specialist in west London. In fact, Wednesday’s hosts have drawn five of their last six Premier League showdowns at Stamford Bridge. However, landing a 3-0 romp when they last faced off against their midweek rivals back in September, Chelsea will be looking to get one over on their former boss here.

Team News

Keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga will start between the sticks on Wednesday night as Edouard Mendy is away with Senegal at the AFCON.

While it remains to be seen if Ruben Loftus-Cheek will be able to feature, Reece James, Ben Chilwell and Andreas Christensen are all dealing with long-term issues.

Tottenham

As for the visitors, while Tottenham might not have been at their best over the weekend, Spurs did manage to open the New Year with a boost. Eventually snatching what was a last-gasp winner against relegation scrappers Watford on the road, new boss Antonio Conte has been filled with praise for his side’s recent displays. Finding an immediate boost since appointing the one-time Chelsea boss, Wednesday’s guests are yet to taste a single domestic defeat under Conte. Skyrocketing their way back into the top-four hunt and with a Champions League return at the top of their agenda, the Lilywhites will now be hoping to find some stability on the road. Although Spurs might have grabbed an injury-time winner against the Hornets on New Year’s Day, that was in fact just the second victory that Tottenham have collected outside of north London in the last seven attempts, a run that stems back to October 17th.

Team News

While Cristian Romero, Ryan Sessegnon and Steven Bergwijn will once again miss out at Stamford Bridge, Conte doesn’t have any fresh issues to worry about here.

Coming off the bench against Watford on New Year’s Day, Harry Winks could return in the heart of Tottenham’s midfield on Wednesday night.

Key Factors to Consider

• When the two sides faced off back in September, Chelsea picked up a 3-0 victory on the road.
• The Blues have remarkably drawn five of their last six Premier League showdowns at Stamford Bridge.
• Tottenham have managed to win just a pair of their last seven away fixtures across all formats, a run that stems back to October 17th.
• Nine of Chelsea’s last 11 fixtures have finished with both teams finding the net.
• Spurs are yet to tatse domestic defeat since appointing Conte back in November.

Conclusion

With Chelsea mounting an impressive comeback over the weekend as they played out an action-packed 2-2 draw against Liverpool, neutrals from across the country will be hoping for a similar affair on Wednesday night. Looking to find a Stamford Bridge boost after having to settle for a single point in five of their last six Premier League contests on home soil, the Blues have gained a reputation for their lively contests at both ends of the pitch. Welcoming back their former boss to west London and desperate to get one over on Conte in midweek, we expect to see chances come thick and fast here. With Tottenham yet to taste a single domestic defeat since appointing the one-time Chelsea manager, both teams will be smelling a chance. With Wednesday’s hosts seeing nine of their previous 11 contests finish with both teams finding the net, we’re backing a similar outcome here.

Verdict: Both teams to score

Best Odds: 4/5

Bookmaker: Unibet