Prediction: Chelsea vs Tottenham

23rd March 2012

Chelsea missed an excellent opportunity to close the gap behind fourth-placed Tottenham as they squandered a one-goal lead against Manchester City, but the Blues can now beat Spurs and thus return in contention for the top 4 finish. Harry Redknapp’s side are in a difficult position after the 1-1 draw with Stoke, although they would probably be happy with one point from Stamford Bridge.

Andre Villas-Boas was always going to have a difficult task at Stamford Bridge seeing that he started a small revolution at Chelsea, having signed a number of talented players in the summer with a view of rejuvenating the Blues’ ageing squad. The Portuguese manager has done some good things this season, but his treatment of senior players John Terry and especially Frank Lampard was the main reason why he was denied the opportunity to finish what he had started. Surprisingly enough, his departure had a very positive effect on the squad as Chelsea went on to win first four games under Roberto Di Matteo, hinting they would be able to save this season, although they could do nothing to avoid defeat at Etihad Stadium, even if they scored the opening goal through Gary Cahill. The defeat didn’t prove too costly as their top 4 rivals Tottenham failed to beat Stoke at home, meaning that Chelsea can now close the gap to just two points if they win this game. The good news is John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic return to the side after recovering from injury, while Didier Drogba should replace Fernando Torres up front.

What looked like a very promising season could turn into an utter disappointment if Tottenham fail to arrest the poor run of results very soon. Just few weeks ago, Spurs were ten points clear of both Arsenal and Chelsea, but the dismal run of results saw the Gunners leapfrog them on the standings, while Blues closed the gap to just five points. In all fairness, Harry Redknapp’s side played really well against United, Everton and Stoke, and they were only outplayed by arch rivals Arsenal, but their profligacy in front of goal and lack of concentration in defence proved very costly. Rafael van der Vaart scored deep in injury time to salvage one point from the home game against Stoke, thus helping the team end their three-match losing run, but that goal won’t matter much if Tottenham fail to get something from Stamford Bridge. Spurs are aware that even a draw against Chelsea would be a great result and they will act accordingly. Ledley King is unlikely to feature after starting against Stoke, but Emmanuel Adebayor could return.

Conclusion

Chelsea are in desperate need of a victory as this appears to be their last chance to get back in contention for Champions League places, but the Blues could find it hard to beat very good Tottenham side. Spurs can play a waiting game and hit the hosts on the break, and that kind of approach should yield good results.

Verdict: Draw (X)

Best Odds: 27/10

Bookmaker: BetVictor