Tube strikes cancelled - but Londoners are set to be hit by two more 24-hour walkouts in June
Tube strikes cancelled - but Londoners to be hit by two more walkouts
Roberto De Zerbi has been boosted by the return of first-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario ahead of Tottenham’s trip to Chelsea on Tuesday evening.
De Zerbi said last week, ahead of Spurs’ 1-1 draw with Leeds, that the Italian shot-stopper had still not returned to training.
However, when asked for an update on Vicario’s fitness ahead of his side’s trip to Stamford Bridge, he confirmed that the 29-year-old would be available for selection.
In Vicario’s place, deputy goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky has impressed, and De Zerbi has a decision to make about who will start in between the sticks against Chelsea.
Dominic Solanke, meanwhile, has missed Spurs’ last two games after suffering a hamstring injury during their 1-0 win over Wolves.
There had been reports that Solanke could miss the rest of the season, but De Zerbi said last week that he hoped to have the England striker back for Tuesday’s trip to Stamford Bridge.
Solanke retains an outside shout to make England’s World Cup squad. But with De Zerbi confirming he would not be fit to face Chelsea, his chances of being called up by Thomas Tuchel are looking increasingly unlikely.
Spurs were given a major boost against Leeds last Monday as James Maddison made his first competitive appearance in over a year.
The 29-year-old had been out since suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury during Spurs’ pre-season friendly against Newcastle in August 2025.
Maddison came on in the 85th minute against Leeds, but it is unlikely that he will see his minutes increase drastically before the end of the season.
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Roberto De Zerbi responds to Tottenham record at Chelsea with survival at stake
Spurs could avoid relegation with victory at Stamford Bridge
Sam Tabuteau
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Your matchday briefing on Tottenham, featuring team news and expert analysis from Sam Tabuteau
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Roberto De Zerbi has addressed Tottenham’s record at Stamford Bridge as he bids to keep Spurs in the Premier League by securing just their second win in 41 visits to their London rivals on Tuesday night.
Spurs could confirm Premier League safety with their first win at Stamford Bridge since 2018 after West Ham lost 3-1 to Newcastle on Sunday evening.
If the north Londoners beat Chelsea, they would move five points clear of the bottom three, with one game to play.
A draw would also put them in a comfortable position, with West Ham having an inferior goal difference, but De Zerbi says they will arrive in west London looking for three points.
“We can’t start the game thinking to draw,” he said on Monday.
“We have to start the game, and we prepare the game, and we speak in the meeting, to win the games. Both games.”
It was at Stamford Bridge 10 years ago that Spurs famously conceded the Premier League title to Leicester City in the infamous ‘Battle of the Bridge’.
On the brink: Tottenham could secure survival on Tuesday
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Historically, Chelsea’s home stadium has not been a happy hunting ground for Spurs, who have won there just once in the Premier League era, and De Zerbi has moved to try to dispel the hoodoo that surrounds the fixture.
“We spoke this morning about this record. But the most important (thing) is the spirit, the personality, to play a good game.
“To make points. Because the most important now is to stay up and to play [in the] Premier League next season. Everybody wants to stay up, everyone wants to achieve this goal, and then we can speak about everything.”
It would not, he says, be a miracle to beat a Chelsea side that have lost six of their last seven league games and were beaten in the FA Cup final last weekend.
Yet he acknowledges that the Blues are a team stacked with quality, having worked with Moises Caicedo, Levi Colwill, Joao Pedro and Robert Sanchez at Brighton.
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“Stamford Bridge is difficult,” he continued.
“Tough stadium because the players of Chelsea in this last 25 to 30 seasons have been fantastic. Fantastic players, fantastic managers.”
De Zerbi wants his players to “imagine celebrating the win in their stadium”, but to do so, he admits his side must keep their heads.
He has called for “calm with blood”, with Spurs second to Chelsea at the bottom of the disciplinary table.
But also knows he too must remain cool - De Zerbi is one booking away from serving a one-game touchline ban.
“Always calm with blood,” the Italian continued.
“Personality with the right spirit, but anyway calm and and focus just on the game.”
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Chelsea have a quick turnaround for the Tottenham match after Saturday’s FA Cup final defeat, so interim head coach Calum McFarlane is expected to make changes.
The Blues lost 1-0 to Manchester City at Wembley and now turn attention to their final two games of the Premier League season, starting with Spurs.
Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho both returned in the cup final after each missing two matches with knocks picked up in training. Both are available again.
At centre-back, McFarlane said on Monday that Chelsea “must be careful” with Levi Colwill, given that he has just returned from a serious injury that saw him play no part in the season until earlier this month.
It remains to be seen whether McFarlane persists with a back three of reverts to the 4-2-3-1 formation that both Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior preferred during their tenures.
Robert Sanchez returned against City but wore a Petr Cech-style skull-cap so is expected to be available again.
Romeo Lavia suffered a knock on the eve of the FA Cup final and was not in the squad, so he can be considered a doubt for the visit of Tottenham.
McFarlane has explained that the absences of Benoit Badiashile and Mamadou Sarr in recent weeks is due to selection decisions rather than any injuries. McFarlane said either of them could get game time in the two remaining games against Spurs or Sunderland.
Two men are accused of a burglary at Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium on a night when Beyonce was playing to a sellout crowd.
Alirza Dag, 22, and Murat Kodalakoglu, 23, have been charged after allegedly accessing a VIP rooftop terrace at the north London venue.
They are accused of causing £1,700 of damage to an electronic keypad used to access the terrace.
Prosecutors claim the two men broke in “with intent to steal”, but when Dag appeared in the dock at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court on Monday he denied the burglary charge.
His lawyer, Katie McFadden, said Dag had no plan to steal anything.
The incident happened on June 16 last year, on the final night of six sellout shows at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter world tour.
It is alleged Dag, from Tottenham, and Kodalakoglu, from Chelmsford, burgled Lilywhite House, which houses administration offices at Spurs’ £1 billion stadium.
They are accused of cutting through wires on the electronic access panel, and gaining access to a balcony terrace which is usually only used by senior club executives.
After entering his not guilty plea Dag elected a jury trial over the burglary charge, and his case was sent to Wood Green Crown Court for a preliminary hearing on June 18.
Kodalakoglu did not turn up to court, but Dag told the court his co-defendant did not know about the hearing and is instead attending his brother’s wedding.
Both men have been charged with burglary and criminal damage.
Spurs great is convinced he can do some good to help his former team
Sam Tabuteau
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Former Tottenham defender Toby Alderweireld has revealed that he would “do everything in his power” to try to turn things around at Spurs if he were asked to return.
Alderweireld played for Spurs for six years between 2015 and 2021, and was part of the Mauricio Pochettino side that challenged for multiple Premier League titles and reached the 2019 Champions League final.
The Belgian centre-back retired last summer and has watched from afar as Spurs have battled against relegation this season.
Spurs’ success under Pochettino was underscored by a young, ambitious core of players that included Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen, Harry Kane and Heung min-Son, among others.
Alderweireld feels it is this “down-to-earth” culture that Spurs need to lean back into, and he says he would happily come back to advise the club as they look to rebuild over the summer.
“Yeah, for sure [I would return]. It’s up to someone else to decide if I have the qualities and about the right position, but I would do everything in my power,” Alderweireld told The Times.
“I think I have good connections with the fans and the club. I know the club, I played there for six years.
“If Tottenham need help, I’m there, why not? I think the other guys would feel the same. We had a wonderful team at that time, that was our strength.
“If I think about Sonny, Harry Kane, myself, Jan Vertonghen, they were down-to-earth people, good guys. They always put the club number one. Those are the people you want in your club.”
Toby Alderweireld was a recent guest of Spurs for the win over Atletico Madrid
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Alderweireld wants to “really build something” if he is to come back to north London.
Spurs, who could secure Premier League survival with just their second win in 36 years away to Chelsea on Tuesday, are in need of a cultural reset.
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A distinct lack of leadership has been a major issue for Spurs, and Alderweireld admits that captain Cristian Romero, who has served multiple suspensions this season, has not led by example.
“I think he’s an unbelievable player, in moments,” Alderweireld added. “For example, with the red cards, you don’t help your team. When your team needs you, you need to be the captain steering the ship, not putting it in more trouble. He’s a very good player, but he should have done better in some situations.
“For me, centre-backs are players you need to count on, to be flawless, not crazy. Win your battles, be secure, that’s the number one. Long balls, passes between the lines, of course, that’s a plus, but the basic is to be secure.
“A captain has to be aware not to — I don’t say he’s causing trouble — but not to be a risk to himself. I call them trustful leaders. You need to be a calm person.”
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The Irons were far from their best at St James’ Park and trailed 2-0 with less than 20 minutes on the clock after Nuno Espirito Santo’s decision to start in a back-three backfired.
He moved quickly to make changes, withdrawing Jean-Clair Todibo before half-time, but it was too little, too late.
The defeat leaves West Ham 18th in the table, two points adrift of 17th-placed Tottenham, the only other team still in relegation contention. West Ham have one match left to play, at home to Leeds on the final day of the season, while Spurs have two.
The first of those two matches comes on Tuesday night, when Roberto De Zerbi’s side visit Chelsea knowing a win will confirm West Ham’s relegation to the Championship.
As West Ham’s situation grows increasingly precarious, the boffins at Opta have revved up their supercomputer to update their relegation predictions.
The results do not make nice reading for those of a claret persuasion. West Ham’s chances of relegation - in the eyes of Opta - have ballooned to a whopping 93.83 per cent.
Provided Spurs fail to beat Chelsea, the relegation battle will be decided on the final day of the Premier League season. All 20 teams will play simultaneously, with Tottenham and West Ham hosting Everton and Leeds, respectively.
Should Tottenham win at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, West Ham’s relegation will be confirmed, and, subsequently, so too will Tottenham’s safety.
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Chelsea vs Tottenham: Prediction, kick-off time, TV, live stream, team news, h2h results, odds
Spurs able to dodge relegation with a win as Blues look to revive push for European places
Arthur Ferridge
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Chelsea host Tottenham on Tuesday in a match which could prove decisive in both the relegation battle and race to qualify for Europe.
There is never a dull day at Chelsea, and they have endured a characteristically busy weekend. The Blues were beaten in the FA Cup final by Manchester City on Saturday, and confirmed the hire of new manager Xabi Alonso on Sunday morning.
Interim boss Calum McFarlane will remain in the dugout for the Blues’ last two matches of the season, though, and will lead the team out for the penultimate time on Tuesday as Chelsea look to revitalise their push to qualify for European football.
The Champions League may now be out of reach, but they could take themselves as high as eighth in the table with a win.
Tottenham, meanwhile, will be keen to keep them from doing so, but that is out of more self-interest than spite. Victory for Spurs on Tuesday will confirm their safety in the Premier League, also condemning West Ham to the drop.
Lose or draw, though, and the relegation battle will rumble into the final day of the campaign.
Date, kick-off time and venue
Chelsea vs Tottenham is scheduled for an 8.15pm BST kick-off on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
The match will take place at Stamford Bridge in west London.
Where to watch Chelsea vs Tottenham
TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on Sky Sports Premier League, with coverage starting at 7pm BST ahead of the 8.15pm kick-off.
Coverage of this match will dovetail with that of Bournemouth vs Manchester City, which kicks off at 7.30pm on Sky Sports Main Event.
Live stream: Sky Sports/TNT Sports subscribers can also catch the contest live online via the Sky Go app/HBO Max app and website.
Live blog: You can follow all the action on matchday via Standard Sport’s live blog, with expert analysis from Dom Smith and Sam Tabuteau at the ground.
Chelsea vs Tottenham team news
Chelsea are in relatively good nick coming into this match, with just two players sidelined after the likes of Reece James and Robert Sanchez came back into contention in recent weeks.
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Both absentees are wingers, though, with Estevao and Jamie Gittens both nursing long-term hamstring injuries.
Still sidelined: Estevao
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Tottenham’s injury headaches, meanwhile, are extensive.
There has been some good news recently, with James Maddison coming back into the fold.
Guglielmo Vicario is a doubt for the match as he continues his recovery from hernia surgery, while Dominic Solanke is pushing to be involved after suffering a hamstring injury.
Among the definite absentees are Xavi Simons, who is out for the season. So too are Cristian Romero, Mohammed Kudus, Dejan Kulusevski, Wilson Odobert and Ben Davies.
Comeback trail: Dominic Solanke
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Chelsea vs Tottenham prediction
A derby clash between Chelsea and Tottenham will never fail to deliver fireworks, and, with safety in the top-flight on the line, this should be no different.
The Blues are wounded after a dismal run of form and their defeat in the FA Cup final, but will love nothing more than to beat Spurs and keep the relegation battle alive.
Whether they can do so is another question entirely. Tottenham are in rejuvenated form and will surely rally for this match.
We expect an all-guns-blazing, action-packed affair, but home advantage might just help Chelsea edge it.
Chelsea to win, 2-1.
Head to head (h2h) history and results
Chelsea have won each of their last five meetings with Tottenham, by an aggregate score of 10-4.
Spurs come into this match desperate for a win, but have won at Stamford Bridge only once in their last 35 attempts in the league.
Chelsea wins: 81
Tottenham wins: 54
Draws: 40
Joao Pedro scored the only goal as Chelsea beat Tottenham in N17 in November
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Chelsea vs Tottenham match odds
Chelsea to win: 10/11
Tottenham to win: 21/10
Draw: 9/4
Odds via Betfair (subject to change).