Chelsea versus Tottenham is one of the most anticipated games in the Premier League calendar, and the two go head to head later tonight with lots on the line for the London rivals.
Spurs' top four hopes have taken a hit in recent weeks, with the Lilywhites currently seven points off the Champions League spots with two games in hand after losses against Newcastle United and Arsenal. As for Chelsea, victory against Spurs tonight would be a big three points in their hunt for European football, with Mauricio Pochettino's side winless in their last three games across all competitions.
The last time the two sides met saw one of the games of the season unfold, with VAR drama playing a big role in Chelsea's 4-1 win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Spurs have been handed injury blows with Timo Werner and Ben Davies now ruled out for the rest of the season. At the same time, Chelsea have no returning players as Thiago Silva and Axel Disasi join the ever-growing injury list.
So, what could happen between Chelsea and Spurs later tonight? Let's take a look.
Chelsea vs Tottenham simulated to get a Premier League score predictionTo complete this simulation, we used EA FC 24 and updated the squads with the latest injuries and suspensions.
We predict that Chelsea could set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with their line-up as follows: Petrovic; Gilchrist, Chalobah, Badiashile, Cucurella; Caicedo, Gallagher; Madueke, Palmer, Mudryk; Jackson.
We predict that Spurs could line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with their starting XI as follows: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Emerson; Sarr, Bissouma, Johnson, Kulusevski, Son; Richarlison.
The game got off to a fantastic start, with both sides having big chances saved in the opening five minutes at Stamford Bridge. After the frantic start, Spurs started to take control, and they came close when Richarlison poked Brennan Johnson's cross towards goal, but Djordje Petrovic was able to parry the shot wide of the target.
The pressure continued from the visitors as they looked to find the opener, and in the 28th minute, a well-worked move was finished off by Dejan Kulusevski to put Postecoglou's side ahead.
Micky van de Ven beat Noni Madueke to a loose ball on the right, and the defender galloped forward before flicking the ball to Son Heung-min just outside the box. The forward played a one-two with Yves Bissouma before threading the ball into the path of Kulusevski, and the Swede blasted past the 'keeper at the near post to make it 1-0.
Chelsea were struggling to create many chances of their own in the first half, with their best chance falling to Cole Palmer who skimmed the bar with a free-kick from distance. But, a moment of fortune saw the Blues handed a lifeline, with Guglielmo Vicario making a huge error just before the break.
As Spurs looked to play out the back, Chelsea pressed high, forcing the visitors to play back to the 'keeper under pressure. Rather than clearing the ball to safety, Vicario attempted a risky pass to Van de Ven, and Gallagher was on hand to swoop in, steal the ball, and fire into an empty net to level the score going into half-time.
Not long after the restart, Gallagher was sent off for Chelsea after picking up two yellow cards in nine minutes, and not long after it became 10 against 10 as Pedro Porro received a red card for a dangerous challenge. The game became a bit dull with neither side wanting to lose, but Chelsea should've made it 2-1 with a few minutes remaining.
A switch of play from Marc Cucurella picked out the run of Palmer on the right, and a fantastic through ball was latched onto by Nicolas Jackson. One-on-one with the 'keeper, his effort was poor, and he fired the ball into the chest of Vicario as the game ended all square.
EA FC 24 predicted final score: Chelsea 1-1 SpursWhat do you think the score will be? Let us know in the comments!
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