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Chelsea stars could be playing for their futures with Xabi Alonso message clear
So much still riding on Blues’ final fixtures against Tottenham and Sunderland, despite what their Premier League position might suggest
New boss: Xabi Alonso will officially take charge at Chelsea on July 1
London Standard
Dom Smith
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Your matchday briefing on Chelsea, featuring team news and expert analysis from Dom Smith
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To glance at the Premier League table and find Chelsea down in 10th place might be to assume there is little left for them to play for. How wrong it would be to draw that conclusion.
The visit of Tottenham to Stamford Bridge is invariably a huge occasion for Blues fans, and it will be no different this evening.
Firstly, it must be acknowledged that while there is plenty at stake, this one could admittedly have meant even more. A game earmarked for weeks as the night Chelsea could relegate Spurs to the Championship could now be the night Spurs confirm survival.
Given their huge goal-difference advantage over West Ham, a point would do - a reminder that football is no exact science, that trying to get ahead of the game and predict permutations is almost always futile.
If that were not motivation enough, there is still the (admittedly remote) possibility of qualifying for the Champions League. They need practically every result to go their way, including Aston Villa winning the Europa League and finishing exactly fifth in the Premier League, but it remains mathematically possible.
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Until it isn’t, there is a target for Chelsea to chase. Even if one part of the puzzle goes awry and the Champions League does pass them by, there is Europa League or Conference League football to be had.
Bournemouth, Brighton, Brentford and Sunderland - in that order - are in the ascendency, with Chelsea distant chasers, but stranger things have happened. And they have arguably the most talented squad among those European hopefuls.
The managerial appointment of great cachet that immediately followed defeat by Manchester City in the FA Cup final adds a whole new layer of complexion to Tuesday’s game.
Xabi Alonso is a real coup. Chelsea’s next chapter will be fronted by one of Europe’s leading managers from the next generation, a modest but highly-driven coach who players will immediately respect for what he has achieved in management as well as during a glorious playing career.
Once Alonso begins his role on July 1, he will have recruitment powers that work both ways. Just as he can suggest signings to the club, he can also name the players he would encourage Chelsea to evolve beyond and sell.
This all feeds a school of thought that indicates Chelsea’s players will, to some degree, be playing for their futures against Spurs on Tuesday and Sunderland on Sunday. Alonso will be keeping an eye on Chelsea’s performances in both remaining games and making notes.
The message is simple: impress, and the likelihood of an integral role under the new manager increases.
Some individuals have their own further reasons, specific to them, to stand out against Spurs. Monday evening brought confirmation that Joao Pedro had been inexplicably left out of Brazil’s World Cup squad.
Was the news on Tuesday morning that he’d received more than 60 per cent of the votes as Chelsea’s player of the season a silver lining or rubbing salt in the wound?
Either way, starring tonight would be a pertinent way of proving to Carlo Ancelotti that he has made the wrong call. It was Joao Pedro who scored the only goal in Chelsea’s win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium back in November.
As significant as any of these reasons is the historic meaning of this fixture.
Tottenham have twice relegated Chelsea by beating them, first in 1910 and then in 1975. In more recent years, the rivalry has grown even stormier, culminating in the brutal and bruising ‘Battle of the Bridge’, 10 years ago this month, when Eden Hazard’s sublime late goal ended Tottenham’s hopes of winning their first Premier League title and crowned 5000-1 outsiders Leicester champions instead.
When Chelsea’s players emerge from the tunnel to the famous ‘Liquidator’ tune, chants of “we hate Tottenham” supersede professions of their love for Chelsea, whoever the opponents, whatever the game. That sentiment is supercharged when Spurs themselves are the visitors.
And Chelsea usually cash in. In their last 40 trips to Stamford Bridge, Tottenham have won once.
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In the now infamous ‘Battle of the Bridge’, Spurs came up short, as they always tend to do in this corner of west London, extending their winless run at Chelsea’s home ground to 26 years and handing Leicester City the most improbable of title victories.
A decade on, and the stakes have shifted dramatically, with Spurs needing a win at Stamford Bridge tonight to secure Premier League survival and complete a remarkable turnaround in fortunes under Roberto De Zerbi.
But some things never change. Spurs have won just one of their last 40 trips to Stamford Bridge, and three points at the home of their London rivals remains as scarce now as it did in 2016.
This record is something De Zerbi has been keen to address, and he spoke to his players at Hotspur Way on Monday morning about changing the narrative around a fixture where Spurs have historically been second best.
Motivation is not in short supply for either team, and De Zerbi says his side must embrace the pressure of being the club that so many rival fans want to see relegated.
“I am Italian, and in Italy, it’s the same. For the biggest teams, it’s the same. We have to accept the pressure. We have to enjoy this pressure. We have to find new motivation from this pressure. I think it’s a good thing for us. If everyone wants Tottenham relegated, it’s a big motivation for me, and I hope for my players as well.”
At the end of a tumultuous season, there is something cathartic about Spurs being able to put their relegation fears to bed against Chelsea.
A win would prove to be a huge statement of intent for De Zerbi and justify the faith he has shown in his squad, who he believes are capable of far more than they have produced this season.
History, though, is not on their side, and De Zerbi admits that cool heads, the right blend of “calm with blood”, is the only way Spurs can arrest their Stamford Bridge hoodoo.
The Italian must lead by example, if Spurs, who rank second-bottom to Chelsea in the disciplinary table this season, are to avoid a repeat of the scenes that made the ‘Battle of the Bridge' one of the most instantly iconic games of the Premier League era.
Nine Spurs players were awarded a yellow card that evening - the most by a single team in Premier League history - while Mousa Dembele was retrospectively banned for six games after gouging Diego Costa’s eye.
The relegation race is “not finished yet”, according to De Zerbi, and he is determined to get the job done tonight to avoid a nail-biting final day.
Any talk of Spurs playing for a draw against Chelsea, which would effectively keep them up due to their superior goal difference, has been dismissed.
De Zerbi wants Spurs to play without fear. This, after all, is a Chelsea side that has lost six of their last seven league games and were beaten by Manchester City in the FA Cup final.
Not once in 10 years has this fixture had so much weighing on it. Victory for Spurs could be transformative.
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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Spurs can confirm survival with a win - while a point may prove enough - as Blues push for European qualification
Sport | Football
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.