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The full-time whistle has been blown in the match between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge, and it is time for our player ratings.

Tottenham Hotspur have once again failed to take advantage of West Ham United’s slip-up, falling to a 2-1 defeat against Chelsea and pushing the race for survival down to the final gameweek of the season, despite needing just a draw at the Bridge.

Let us take a look at how the individual players got on:

Tottenham player ratings vs Chelsea after 2-1 defeat

Antonin Kinsky – He definitely should have done better for Chelsea’s opener, as he misjudged where Enzo Fernandez was aiming. In the second half, he was barely tested, but for Chelsea’s second goal, there was nothing he could do. 5.

Pedro Porro – After creating a few good chances in the first half with crosses into the box, Porro stuck at it in the second half with his deliveries from corners, but his teammates just could not convert. 5.

Kevin Danso – For most of the second half, the Tottenham centre-backs looked solid and were barely threatened, not until Randal Kolo Muani’s moment of madness. In the first half, Danso did have a half-chance from a corner, but it was not threatening. 4.

Micky van de Ven – The Dutchman was aggressive in his approach in the first half and stayed tight to Liam Delap for most of the game. The forward barely had a sniff. In the second half, van de Ven saw plenty of the ball and was crucial in build-up play. He barely put a foot wrong. 5.

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Destiny Udogie – It was not the best performance from the full-back, who had to pick his moments to join the attack with overlapping runs. In the first half, those moments were few and far between, and they continued in the second. The passes meant to release his runs were not always the best either. 4.

Joao Palhinha – When Enzo Fernandez let fly in the first half, Palhinha was nowhere near close enough to block the shot. Chelsea then proceeded to dominate possession in midfield in that half. Spurs, however, regained some control in the second half, but Palhinha offered little and was substituted later on. 3.

Rodrigo Bentancur – In the first 45 minutes, he struggled to get on the ball and dictate proceedings from midfield, with Moises Caicedo man-marking him. The Chelsea midfielder dropped off in the second half, and the Uruguayan began to see more of the ball, helping Spurs dictate the tempo better. 4.

Conor Gallagher – It was a poor first half from Gallagher, who barely had any influence in the number 10 role. In the second forty-five, he had a half-chance following a cross from the right, but his shot was straight at Robert Sanchez. When James Maddison was introduced, Gallagher dropped into a deeper midfield role. 4.

Mathys Tel – The winger had Spurs’ best chance of the first half and, in the second interval, when Tottenham needed to push for a goal, he did not have any clear-cut chances and barely created anything. 5.

Richarlison – A frustrating night for the Brazilian, who was simply not up to the task throughout. In the first forty-five, he did not have a clear-cut chance; in the second, he carried on in the same fashion and offered little up front. Richarlison eventually got a big chance after Pape Matar Sarr’s effort fell kindly to him, and he tapped in. 5.

Randal Kolo Muani – The Frenchman saw plenty of the ball, but did not make the most of it. In the first half, he barely took on his man, often opting for the safer option. In the second half, he continued similarly, almost always looking to hit first-time balls into the box, which were often intercepted. He was careless in possession, and Chelsea punished Spurs for it as they doubled their lead. A poor display. 1.

Substitutes

James Maddison – The Englishman came on to replace Kolo Muani after his costly error. He came close after some nice link-up play with Richarlison, but his effort was blocked. 6.

Djed Spence – The full-back came on and went straight into the left-wing role with Tel moving to the right as Spurs reshuffled their attack. He played a part in the Tottenham goal. 6.

The half-time whistle has blown in the Premier League match between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, and it’s time for our player ratings.

Tottenham need just one point to secure their Premier League status tonight, but they trail 1-0 at the break at Stamford Bridge.

Let us take a look at how the individual players got on:

Antonin Kinsky – He made a fine stop early on when Cole Palmer let fly from range. However, he misjudged Enzo Fernandez’s strike for the opener and should have done better. 5.

Pedro Porro – The full-back found a lot of joy in the right-hand half-space early on in the first half, with Chelsea not applying enough pressure and allowing him time to pick out passes and crosses. He created a fine opportunity with a delivery into the box, which Mathys Tel met, only for Robert Sanchez to deny him. He was later booked after a reckless challenge on Marc Cucurella. 5.

Kevin Danso – The Austrian had a half-chance from a Porro corner that dropped kindly in the box, but he could not generate enough power or accuracy on the effort. Later on in the first half, he made a crucial interception after Delap almost went through on goal. 4.

Micky van de Ven – We saw him use his recovery pace a couple of times in the first half, helping stop Chelsea from breaking into the Tottenham box. He also did a decent job marshalling Liam Delap; however, he was booked at the latter stages of the half. 4.

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Destiny Udogie – He looked to offer overlapping runs down the left flank during the early stages, although his attacking involvement faded as the half wore on. He was tasked with pressing high, which occasionally left space in behind. 4.

Joao Palhinha – With Fernandez scoring from range, questions have to be asked of the defensive midfield, with Palhinha nowhere near close enough to shut the Chelsea midfielder down. Palhinha also gave away a few cheap free-kicks and has not looked at his best. 3.

Rodrigo Bentancur – The Uruguayan has not been allowed to dictate the midfield as he has done in recent weeks. Moises Caicedo appears to be following him closely, making it difficult for him to settle on the ball. 3.5.

Conor Gallagher – The midfielder has barely influenced proceedings for Tottenham, although that may partly be down to Spurs not pressing with the same aggression they have shown in previous matches. 3.

Mathys Tel – The winger had Tottenham’s best chance of the half when he connected with Porro’s cross, but he could not direct his header beyond Sanchez. The wide forward also worked back well defensively when required. 6.

Richarlison – He has barely had a sniff in attack, with Tottenham struggling to create meaningful openings. However, when the ball has been played to him, he struggles to make it stick. 3.

Tottenham Hotspur return to Premier League action tonight knowing a positive result against Chelsea will finally secure their top-flight safety.

After more than a week of rest, Tottenham Hotspur are back in Premier League action when they make the short trip to Stamford Bridge.

The Lilywhites head into the clash following a 1-1 draw against Leeds United last weekend after failing to capitalise on West Ham United’s defeat to Arsenal, leaving the gap between themselves and the Hammers at just two points.

Tonight, however, presents Spurs with another huge opportunity. Thanks to Newcastle United beating West Ham on Sunday evening, Tottenham can now secure Premier League survival with just a single point at Stamford Bridge.

Tottenham can secure their Premier League status

Roberto De Zerbi knows he has to get his team selection right if Spurs are to take something from a struggling Chelsea side.

The Blues are winless in their last seven Premier League matches and suffered a gut-wrenching defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup final at the weekend. Spurs will now hope to pile more misery on their rivals by securing their Premier League status at Stamford Bridge.

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Heading into the clash, Tottenham remain without several players, with Mohammed Kudus, Wilson Odobert, Ben Davies, Cristian Romero and Dejan Kulusevski all sidelined for tonight’s game.

Guglielmo Vicario has returned to the squad but starts on the bench, while Dominic Solanke misses out again.

James Maddison is also among the substitutes as he continues to build match fitness following his 20-minute cameo against Leeds United last time out.

This is the Tottenham side that takes to the pitch against Chelsea tonight:

CHELSEA XI: Robert Sanchez; Acheampong, Fofana, Hato, Cucurella; Andrey Santos, Caicedo, Enzo Fernández; Palmer, Pedro Neto; Delap.

Subs: Jorgensen, Sarr, Chalobah, James, Essugo, Garnacho, Derry, Kavuma-McQueen, Mheuka

TOTTENHAM XI: Kinsky; Pedro Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bentancur, Palhinha; Kolo Muani, Gallagher, Tel; Richarlison.

Subs: Vicario, Dragusin, Bissouma, Maddison, Gray, Bergvall, Spence, Sarr, Souza

Chelsea can boost European hopes against Spurs

Results have gone majorly Chelsea’s way in recent weeks, leaving the Blues firmly in the race for European football heading into the final stretch of the campaign.

A win against Tottenham would move Chelsea to within one point of the Europa League places in seventh heading into the final day of the season, with Brighton set to face Manchester United while the Blues take on Sunderland.

If Chelsea is to secure a European place next season, beating Spurs tonight is simply a must.

Tottenham Hotspur will head to Stamford Bridge tonight knowing their yellow kit has already brought them one memorable result this season, and supporters will be hoping it delivers again in a crucial clash against Chelsea.

Many Tottenham Hotspur fans will be bracing themselves for a cracking game against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge tonight.

A lot is on the line for the Lilywhites, who know that a single point at the Bridge will be enough to secure their Premier League status for next season.

Chelsea, however, will be desperate to keep the relegation pressure on their rivals, Spurs, heading into the final day of the season.

A victory for the Blues would also leave them with a chance of securing a European spot despite losing the FA Cup final.

Tottenham’s all-yellow kit record offers slight encouragement ahead of Chelsea trip

It is certainly a difficult game to call, with both sides coming into the match in contrasting form. Judging by recent league performances, Spurs are the stronger side, with Roberto De Zerbi’s men unbeaten in their last four outings.

Chelsea, on the other hand, have not tasted Premier League victory since March and are winless in their last seven league matches – Spurs will be hoping to add to their misery.

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It has now been confirmed that, with Tottenham away from home, Spurs will play in their all-yellow third strip. Many fans will remember that Spurs’ last Premier League victory came in that kit when they beat Aston Villa 2-1. However, the overall history of the changed strip is not quite so healthy.

Tottenham record in third kit this season

Spurs face difficult Stamford Bridge test despite Chelsea struggles

Playing against Chelsea is never an easy task, let alone doing so at Stamford Bridge. Tottenham Hotspur are fully aware of their record in west London.

Thus far in Premier League history, Spurs have managed just one victory at Stamford Bridge, which came back in 2018 during Mauricio Pochettino’s time in charge.

Fortunately for Tottenham, the pressure this time is not entirely on securing a win. Instead, it is about finding a point, something Spurs have managed 11 times in Premier League meetings away to Chelsea.

Micky Hazard has not minced his words regarding how differently Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal have been treated this season by the officials.

The debate regarding the use of VAR and the lack of consistency has exploded over the last few weeks, with some controversial calls proving decisive at both ends of the table.

Tottenham themselves have been the victims of several extremely harsh calls this season, including their latest 2-2 draw against Leeds, where James Maddison was denied a late penalty.

On the other hand, their North London rivals have benefited from being on the right side of some dubious officiating, and one Spurs legend has called out the double standard.

Micky Hazard contrasts officiating on Kai Havertz to Tottenham’s Cristian Romero

VAR has once again been the talking point after Arsenal beat Burnley 1-0 to move a step closer to securing the Premier League title.

Kai Havertz, who scored the only goal of the game with a first-half header, caught Burnley’s Lesley Ugochukwu on the back of his calf with a late challenge in the 69th minute.

Despite the incident being reviewed by the VAR team, the referee, Paul Tierney, was not sent to the pitch side monitor.

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Micky Hazard feels that the officials would have come to a much different decision if Romero had made a challenge similar to the Arsenal forward’s on Ugochukwu.

The former Spurs midfielder wrote on X: “It would have been a 50-game suspension if it were Romero, these refs and VAR officials, I have absolutely no idea what they are watching. Absolutely shocking challenge with no hope of getting the ball.”

Spurs fans have been extremely frustrated with officiating this season

Tottenham have still not been handed a single penalty in the Premier League this season, with the Lilywhites seeing several great shouts turned down while other sides have been handed fairly soft penalties.

Some Spurs fans have questioned if the officials want to see them go down this season after repeatedly getting the rough end of the stick from referees.

Tottenham Hotspur were gifted a chance to finally leave their relegation woes behind them and guarantee Premier League survival, but they have to get a result at Chelsea to do it first.

Spurs now have a chance to etch a silver lining onto what will be, without a doubt, remembered as the worst football season in their modern history.

Newcastle’s win over West Ham means Tottenham need only one point from their two remaining games to seal safety, and Spurs have their first chance to do just that in their visit to Stamford Bridge tonight.

Chelsea themselves have to contend with what has become a properly derailed season. Their loss to Manchester City in the FA Cup final on the weekend not only compounded their losses, but it also gave Spurs time to tactically prepare for their game against a tired Chelsea side.

So here are 3 tactical ideas from Chelsea’s loss to Manchester City in the FA Cup final and how they relate to Tottenham’s fixture tonight.

Ever since Chelsea’s draw at Anfield, Callum McFarlane has opted to play a back three with wide wingbacks in Cucurella and Malo Gusto.

A part of it can boil down to his ideas to approach his games against Liverpool and now Manchester City with defensive solidity as a priority. But for the extra man in defence as well as the extra width that a back five provides, it did limit Chelsea’s ability to effectively attack the box.

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McFarlane could very well stick with his formation from the final and let Spurs control more of the possession, knowing that their squad likely lacks the individual quality and creativity to consistently create chances against a settled defence.

In the FA Cup final Levy Colwill played an outstanding game in the middle of Chelsea’s backline. McFarlane’s passing frequently broke through City’s lines of pressure, managing to find the spare man in midfield.

If Spurs want to approach the game on the front foot and really get at an easily rattled Chelsea side, the organisation of their press will be crucial.

Tottenham actually already have a good pressing record, since De Zerbi took charge, Spurs’ press manages to win the ball back high up the pitch more than any other team in the Premier League.

While Leeds were largely comfortable with abandoning their central build-up structure to instead play channel balls into their wingers, against a heavy-in-possession side like Villa, Spurs’ press can create a favourable matchup.

In their game against Manchester City, City took control of the centre of the pitch, so Callum McFarlane instructed his two most advanced midfielders, Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernandes, to play almost on the touchline and form attacking pairs with their wingbacks.

This allowed Chelsea to consistently progress with the ball into City’s defensive third in the wide areas of the pitch. Chelsea’s overloads on the wings (their two wingbacks moved up to support their attacking midfielders) weren’t enough to break the City defences, especially because, as Chelsea started pressing higher up the pitch, they were unwilling to commit numbers to the City box for crosses to guard against their transitions.

That in the end proved fruitless anyway. Man City were able to exploit even the smaller spaces left by Chelsea, and Man City’s only goal came from a transitional moment. But effective marking will, regardless, be crucial for Spurs if they want to stop Chelsea from creating dangerous situations through wingplay.

Roberto De Zerbi has spoken about whether Cristian Romero has a future at Tottenham Hotspur amid the intense speculation linking him with a summer exit.

Over the last few weeks, a number of outlets have reported that Micky van de Ven is loving life under De Zerbi and could be set to sign a new contract at Tottenham this summer.

However, that is not the case with Cristian Romero, who is being widely backed to leave N17 this summer, as many top clubs circle over the Argentine.

Some sources suggest that Spurs want around £56m for their captain this summer, even though he only signed a new deal last summer.

Roberto De Zerbi says Tottenham will decide on Cristian Romero’s future when season is over

The 28-year-old has featured just once under De Zerbi so far, picking up a knee injury in the Italian’s first game in charge of the Lilywhites at the Stadium of Light.

De Zerbi shut down questions over the centre-back’s future, making it clear that it will only be a topic of discussion once the campaign is over.

When asked if he wants Romero to stay at Tottenham and be part of his plans, the Italian said (via The Standard): “It is a good question, but it is the wrong timing, no? First of all, now the focus is on Chelsea.

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“Second point, Romero is a great player, and the most important is the behaviour and how much the player wants to stay in this club. We are going to take all the decisions after this season and after the Everton game.”

De Zerbi says individual targets are not important for Spurs

Romero has started training outdoors, which potentially raises the possibility that he could feature for in Tottenham’s final game of the season against Everton.

However, De Zerbi is not concerned about whether his injured players will return in time, insisting that the only thing he is focused on is securing the club’s survival.

When asked if we could see Romero feature against Everton, the Tottenham boss said: “I don’t know, but listen, we have to play another two games. Now, for our injured players, when are they available after a long time with injury? It is a big problem because the season is tough and only one target we have now.

“Play with Romero? Play with Vicario? Play with Kinsky? The target is just one and to stay up and make a point tomorrow, because this is the target for everyone. Individual targets now are not important.”

European football expert Andy Brassell has sent a warning to Tottenham Hotspur and Roberto De Zerbi regarding Luka Vuskovic.

Vuskovic’s outstanding loan spell at Hamburg ended on Saturday with a 1-1 draw away at Bayer Leverkusen, and the centre-back will now look forward to a huge summer.

The Tottenham teenager has been named in Croatia’s World Cup squad, and he will have a chance to shine on football’s biggest stage in North America.

According to reports, Spurs are planning for Vuskovic to have a key first-team role next season, and one expert believes that the 19-year-old is more than ready.

Journalist reveals why Roberto De Zerbi may have spoken to Luka Vuskovic about Tottenham future

Vuskovic has previously spoken about returning to Hamburg next season, but Andy Brassell shared that the centre-back had admitted that a return to HSV is unlikely following the club’s final game of the season.

The journalist suggested that the centre-back may have changed his tune after De Zerbi spoke to the youngster about his role at Spurs next season.

Brassel told talkSPORT about Tottenham and Luka Vuskovic: “He’s been the difference between Hamburg staying up and going down. A teenager to have the leadership qualities he has, as well as the positional sense, the strength, the sangfroid, it’s quite remarkable. When you look at Tottenham next season, it feels to me that when they have a bit of a rethink, I think they’re more likely to include Vuskovic in the team than use him as collateral.

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“He would be a great part of a Tottenham refresh. For them to have more leaders is a great thing, and he’s definitely one of those. But the way he was talking after that game [against Freiburg] was really interesting, he said, ‘It’s 99 per cent my last game here.’ So, of course, there’s a little bit of him that would love to go back there and play with [his older brother] Mario and have a very good ending at Hamburg, but I think he’s realised that he’s kind of outgrown the club.

“He knows that other Bundesliga clubs and other big Bundesliga clubs would be interested, like Bayern and [Borussia] Dortmund and not limited to Germany. He’s realised that in the real world it’s just not possible for him to stay at Hamburg. He’s just too good to stay there. He does have this contract with Spurs, and he’s got an opportunity to really do something with them.

“I wonder if his changing his tone is A getting to the end of the season or B whether De Zerbi has had a word with him already, or someone has had a word on De Zerbi’s behalf. That would not surprise me at all, someone who’s a great defender but is confident on the ball as well. I think he would be a massive, massive plus for Spurs next season.”

De Zerbi urged to sell other centre-backs over Vuskovic

Some of the biggest clubs in Europe are circling over the Tottenham youngster ahead of the summer transfer window, with the Lilywhites potentially facing a fight to hold onto the Croat.

Brassel believes Tottenham should sell one of their senior centre-backs and make Vuskovic a cornerstone of their project for the best part of the next decade.

When asked about the speculation over the 19-year-old’s future, the journalist responded: “If you’re looking to make collateral, sell someone else because he’s got a terrific future ahead of him, and injury notwithstanding, you bring Vuskovic back, play him, and the sky’s the limit.

“You’d be able to sell him for more in 2-3 years time if you wanted to.”Ideally, I suppose he becomes a cornerstone for Spurs over the next 6-8 years, but I think you have to be realistic and say he’s got a market value as well. Clearly, there’s going to be a bit of a rebuild there, but there’s definitely other players I’d rather sell than him.”

Toby Alderweireld is convinced that we will see Mauricio Pochettino reunite with Tottenham Hotspur in the future.

Many Spurs fans had been dreaming of Pochettino returning in the summer, and some outlets even suggested that the Argentine was the Tottenham hierarchy’s top managerial target to replace Igor Tudor.

However, the club’s top brass chose to go in a different direction in bringing Roberto De Zerbi through the door.

That has proven to be the right decision so far, with the Italian having guided Spurs to eight points from his five games in charge, with the Lilywhites now in the driver’s seat in the battle for survival.

Toby Alderweireld claims Tottenham fans and Mauricio Pochettino both want a reunion

According to a report in GiveMeSport, Pochettino was gutted when Tottenham decided to hire De Zerbi, as he had his eyes set on a return to N17 after the World Cup.

Some sources have claimed that senior figures at Spurs felt hiring Pochettino would be a nod to the Daniel Levy era, and they were keen to look forward rather than backwards.

However, Alderweireld remains confident that we will see the 54-year-old back in the Tottenham dugout in the future.

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When asked if he could see the former Spurs boss returning to N17, the Belgian told The Times: “For sure he will go back to Tottenham one day. He wants it, the fans want it — I don’t know the board — but I think when the manager and the fans want it, it will happen. He wants to come back to finish his job.”

Alderweireld claims people underestimate how good Spurs were under Pochettino

Pochettino has publicly expressed his keenness to finish the job he started at Tottenham by lifting either the Premier League or Champions League trophy at the North London club.

Alderweireld, who was an integral part of the Spurs side under the Argentine, believes that the former Tottenham boss built a better team than many realise.

He added: “People say we didn’t win a trophy, but we did bigger things than a trophy. We changed the belief of Spurs that we can win something. People underestimate how good we were.”

When asked about the Champions League final defeat in 2019, the former Tottenham centre-back responded: “It killed us (Liverpool’s early penalty). That was Liverpool’s game, to play on the counter. If there was one game I could play again, it would be that one.”

Tottenham could reignite their interest in a Premier League midfielder, who they tried to sign during the January window.

Reports indicate that Spurs are ready to invest substantially into rebuilding their squad this summer if they avoid relegation from the Premier League.

According to some sources, Tottenham have started scouring the market for a new midfielder amid fears that they may not be able to land Joao Palhinha on a permanent deal.

It has now emerged that the Lilywhites could try again to secure a 25-year-old after falling short in their efforts to clinch a deal for the player in January.

Tottenahm could reignite its interest in Curtis Jones

Tottenham reportedly weighed up a move for Curtis Jones during the winter, but Liverpool decided to hang onto their academy graduate.

Over recent months, it has been claimed that Jones is keen on leaving Anfield this summer in search of regular game time.

The Times have now confirmed that Spurs did express an interest in Jones before they secured Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid.

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The outlet says that the Lilywhites are set to try again to land the Liverpool star if they avoid relegation from the Premier League this season.

It is revealed that the £35m that Spurs paid for Gallagher will act as ‘a benchmark’ for the Reds’ asking price, with the Merseyside club viewing Jones as a superior English talent to the former Atletico Madrid man.

Tottenham have already reached a verbal agreement with Andy Robertson ahead of the summer, if they remain in the Premier League.

Inter Milan could challenge Spurs in Jones pursuit

The Times add that Inter also tested the waters for Jones in January and are considering resurrecting its pursuit of the England international.

However, it is explained that Liverpool’s £35m asking price could prove prohibitive for the Nerazzurri, who initially explored signing the player on a loan deal with an option to buy.