Tottenham Hotspur vs Chelsea on matchday 11 of the 2023/24 Premier League season is the definition of a “scintillating clash” waiting to happen. The anticipation for this fixture is palpable, as these two London rivals have a rich history of thrilling encounters, and the stakes are higher than ever.
Under the management of Ange Postecoglou, Tottenham has been in stellar form this season. Even without the talismanic Harry Kane, their attacking prowess has not dulled, and many will argue that it is the best they have seen from the North Londoners. They miss Kane’s goals, but the overall improvement of how they attack opponents is one that many have given Postecoglou props for. Their defence is also a force to be reckoned with, conceding less than 10 goals all season.
On the other hand, Chelsea are a rising force in the 2023/24 season under former Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino, who will be returning to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the first time since he was fired years ago. His return may not be warm, and the Argentine manager will not be there to please his former employees.
Pochettino boasts an enviable squad brimming with experience and talent that is starting to come together. After a bad start, they are now looking likely to return to their place in the top six teams as Todd Boehly’s efforts off the pitch look to be paying off. Their most recent 2-2 draw against Arsenal showed they could still square up properly against the ‘big boys’ in the league.
The match will be a fascinating battle between some of the brightest talents in English football. The atmosphere at the stadium will be electric, with fans from both sides eager to outshine one another. Although it is just one of many London derbies in the Premier League and not one of the biggest in terms of historical reputation, Tottenham Hotspur vs Chelsea always delivers drama and excitement. This encounter is unlikely to be an exception.
Read on for match ticket information, team news and predictions on the match’s outcome.
Match Tickets
Tottenham Hotspur vs Chelsea tickets will go live in a few days, but waitlists for Tottenham Hotspur tickets and Chelsea tickets have already gone live. Like many other clubs, both clubs have created these waitlists for their fans to get immediate information on the status of the tickets and their official release dates. Fans who also sign up on these waitlists sometimes get special offers. Official tickets can also be obtained on ticket reselling platforms like Seatsnet.com, where fans looking to do away with their tickets for various reasons go to sell them.
The game will be played at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Monday, 6 November 2023, and will be aired on Sky Sports at 8 PM UTC. Fans can also catch it on streaming via the Sky Sports app, TNT Sports (Discovery+ app) or CBS Sports Golazo (via the Paramount+ app). A subscription to these apps and channels is needed to access the game.
Team news
Ivan Perisic [ACL], Rodrigo Bentancur [ACL recovery], Ryan Sessegnon [hamstring surgery], Bryan Gil [groin surgery], Alfie Whiteman [ankle surgery] and Manor Solomon [meniscus tear] are all out of contention to play for Tottenham Hotspur against Chelsea. However, Rodrigo Bentancur, Ryan Sessegnon and Bryan Gil are all back in training. Bentancur provides the kind of cover that Postecoglou would want against players like Conor Gallagher and Enzo Fernandez, so if he is fit enough, he should make the starting XI for Chelsea’s visit.
Reece James is back and active for Chelsea, so Mauricio Pochettino will include his team’s captain in all his squads and starting XIs until the player needs to spend time off the pitch for fitness or personal reasons. He also has robust centre-back options, with Benoit Badiashile and Trevor Chalobah all fit and training. Both are great options in the place of the now-injured Axel Disasi, who was standing for them while they were sidelined with their injuries. Nicolas Jackson is now playing more games after picking up a minor knock before the October 2023 international break. In summary, Chelsea’s team sheet is not looking good because over 11 first-team players are out of commission. Pochettino, however, can field a strong starting XI to tackle Spurs come 6 November 2023.
Lineups
Destiny Udogie’s rise to the top of the hierarchy at Spurs is excellent. The Italian fullback is currently untouchable in that role and is one of the first names on Postecoglou’s team sheet these days. So is James Maddison, who is the Lilywhite’s marquee signing following the sale of Kane to Bayern Munich in the German Bundesliga.
The African combination of Yves Bissouma and Pape Mata Sarr is untouchable, pending Bentancur’s return to full fitness. Heung-min Son seems to be occupying the striker role for Spurs these days, and that is where he will most likely start against Chelsea, while Richarlison moves to the flanks.
Tottenham Hotspur: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van De Ven, Udogie; Bissouma, Sarr; Kulusevski, Maddison, Richarlison; Son.
Reece James will reclaim his starting right-back position from Malo Gusto, who has deputized well for the Englishman in his absence. He will also claim the captain’s armband back from Gallagher. Cole Palmer will be sacrificed for Nicolas Jackson even though he has been one of the Blues’ better players in the last three game weeks. This is because Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez at the base of the midfield is better for their stability than Gallagher and Fernandez. Raheem Sterling and Mykhailo Mudryk remain untouchable on the wings.
Chelsea: Sanchez; James, Colwill, Silva, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Sterling, Gallagher, Mudryk; Jackson.
Prediction
As stated earlier, Tottenham Hotspur vs Chelsea on matchday 11 could be one of the most exciting matches that the 2023/24 Premier League season will give us. Chelsea’s young core versus Spurs’ experienced core will be a sight to witness because both teams will come at each other with everything they have.
Midfield battles, counterattacks, tackles, shots and everything at the kind of frantic pace that Premier League games are known for. Chelsea have been lucky with winning penalties in the last few games, and with the likes of Cristian Romero in Spurs’ defence, it is hard to bet against the Blues not getting another spot-kick.
Robert Sanchez will be very busy at the other end of the pitch, and Mauricio Pochettino will have to pay special attention to the Spaniard, whose errors in the last few games have been very pronounced. The match will be tight and could end similarly to how the matchday 9 clash between Chelsea and Arsenal did.
Tottenham Hotspur 2 – 2 Chelsea.
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