Though there may not be much separating Tottenham and Chelsea in the Premier League table recent results have served as a reminder of the gulf between two of London’s footballing powers. While Spurs were toiling to defeat to Crystal Palace and a draining draw in the Conference League the Blues were picking up wins without hitting peak form against Aston Villa and Zenit Saint Petersburg.
Here is how you can watch the match and what you need to know:
Viewing information
- Date: Saturday, Sep. 18 | Time: 10 a.m. ET
- Location: Anfield — Liverpool, United Kingdom
- TV/Live stream: Peacock Premium
- Odds: Arsenal -200; Draw +333; Norwich +550 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Storylines
Tottenham: Nuno Espirito Santo will have a depleted front line to pick from for Chelsea’s visit with Steven Bergwijn and Lucas Moura picking up injuries in the 2-2 draw with Rennes that began Tottenham’s Europa Conference League campaign that make them doubts for Sunday’s game. Add to that the ongoing absence of Son Heung-min due to a calf issue and Spurs options to play alongside Harry Kane and Bryan Gil in the frontline are limited indeed with either Emerson Royal pushed up from full back or Dele Alli asked to move out wide.
It is not just in attack that there are selection issues. Japhet Tanganga’s suspension and the dead leg suffered by Eric Dier that kept him out of the trip to France mean that Nuno could be forced to cobble together a defense of Davison Sanchez and Joe Rodon, hardly ideal for the visit of the European champions.
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Chelsea: Meanwhile Thomas Tuchel could bring N’Golo Kante back into the side if he deems him necessary for Sunday’s game, though the pairing of Mateo Kovacic and Jorginho have coped admirably in his absence. Indeed it appears likely that Christian Pulisic will be the sole absentee for the Blues on their trip to Tottenham.
Antonio Rudiger is expected to start against the side he might have joined last season after being frozen out by Frank Lampard. Now a regular under new management, the center back is out of contract next summer but Tuchel is hopeful that an agreement will be reached. “http://www.cbssports.com/”I hope that we find the solution but it’s not only about coaches and players and what we wish for,” he said. “In the moment it is between the club, the player and the agent. We hope we can find a solution, because he is playing some excellent football for us.”
Prediction
Against a weakened Spurs Chelsea ought to have the quality to prevail. PICK: Tottenham 0 Chelsea 2
