Chelsea

The Blues head coach admitted in her pre-match press conference that, after the title was claimed in midweek in Manchester, she was considering resting several players who have featured in most of our matches this term. That has proved to be the case.

It has resulted in Millie Bright and Lucy Bronze being left out of the squad this afternoon, with Bompastor naming an unfamiliar back four for today's game.

Hannah Hampton remains in goal and will be protected by Ashley Lawrence, Sjoeke Nusken, Maelys Mpome and Guro Reiten.

Oriane Jean-Francois will sit in midfield behind an attacking front five of Maika Hamano, Erin Cuthbert, Catarina Macario, Johanna Rytting-Kaneryd. Mia Fishel leads the line as she continues her journey back to full fitness after injury.

Chelsea: Hampton; Lawrence, Nusken, Mpome, Reiten; Jean-Francois; Rytting Kaneryd, Cuthbert, Macario, Hamano; Fishel

Chelsea substitutes: Cox, Bjorn, Girma, Kaptein, Charles, Walsh, Beever-Jones, Brown, Sarwie

Tottenham: Kop, Grant, Morris, Bartrip, Naz, England, Holdt, Hunt, Spence, Summanen, Neville

Tottenham substitutes: Heeps, Nilden, Oroz, Rybrink, Vinberg, Thomas, Ahtinen, Ayane, Gunning-Williams

Hassan Sulaiman's side worked tirelessly from start to finish, aiming to end the season on a high.

Despite strong moments throughout the match and coming close to breaking the deadlock, Spurs' defence remained resolute. The game was evenly contested, with the home side also creating chances, but our defenders stood firm.

The final result was a goalless draw, and we head back to Cobham for the last time this season with the points shared. With all fixtures now played, the Blues currently sit in third place in the Under-18s Premier League table.

Patiently building

This London derby got off to a steady start as both sides cautiously assessed the tempo, each looking to assert dominance and find an early breakthrough.

We began applying pressure early, with promising runs from the energetic Ibrahim Rabbaj unsettling the Spurs defence inside the penalty area. Despite the intensity, Tottenham held firm and dealt with the early threat well.

In the opening stages, it felt like we were steadily building momentum. We dominated possession and pushed forward with intent. Frankie Runham, working out wide, was lively throughout, making dangerous runs and weaving his way into the box. Yet again, our opponents' backline proved difficult to break down, though there were encouraging glimpses for the Blues.

As the match progressed, the home side began to grow into the game. Tynan Thompson emerged as a bright spark for Spurs, using the wing effectively to cause problems going forward. However, our defender Joseph Wheeler-Henry kept a close watch on him, shielding goalkeeper Jack Austin from serious danger.

Austin was eventually called into action, reacting sharply to a low, close-range strike from Reiss Elliot-Parris. The Chelsea keeper stayed composed and gathered the ball cleanly.

Approaching the half-hour mark, a cagey spell developed as both teams struggled to create clear-cut opportunities. We nearly found the opener when Harry McGlinchey floated a ball into the penalty area. Sol Gordon met it with a flicked header, but the Spurs player between the sticks, Samuel Archer, was well-positioned and caught it comfortably.

Chances remained hard to come by. Runham had a promising moment inside the box, firing a left-footed strike on goal, but Archer reacted quickly and made another strong save.

Arguably the best chance of the half came from the hosts. Thompson, again influential, cut inside and unleashed a powerful curling effort. Austin had to leap to tip the shot away, his gloves stung by the strike as he kept the scores level.

As we approached half-time, the tempo lifted and both teams seemed to settle into their rhythm. Our midfielder Reggie Walsh launched a long, looping ball forward, which Gordon did well to reach with a flicked finish - only to see it rise over the crossbar.

That proved to be the final opportunity of the first half, as the teams went into the interval goalless, each still searching for the breakthrough after the restart.

Still searching

Chelsea came out for the second half with the same intent and energy that had built in the closing stages of the first. Rabbaj made a clever weaving run before setting up Runham for a low-driven shot, but the effort skimmed just wide across the face of goal, denying him the opener.

Riding that momentum, another opportunity followed not long after. Substitute Kobe Barbour, introduced by Sulaiman, made an intelligent and rapid run down the wing. Spotting Walsh in space, he squared it to him, but the midfielder's powerful effort struck the outside of the post. It was impressive work from the young Blues, and the signs were promising.

Chelsea were truly growing into the London derby, threatening more than at any point in the afternoon. Barbour remained lively, this time collecting the ball in midfield, shrugging off his marker and unleashing a venomous strike from distance. It looked destined to ripple the net, but for the second time this afternoon, the woodwork denied Chelsea. His shot crashed against the post and spared Spurs once again.

Almost immediately after, the Blues produced another dangerous move. Rabbaj floated in a pinpoint cross into the penalty area where Walsh met it with a volley, but his attempt found only the side netting. At that point, a goal felt within touching distance.

As we passed the 70-minute mark, Chelsea continued to apply pressure, growing more confident on away soil. McGlinchey delivered a looping corner, and towering defender Olutayo Subuloye rose to meet it with a thunderous header, only to see it narrowly clear the bar.

However, Spurs had a moment of their own through a swift counter-attack. Substitute Luca Williams-Barnett surged upfield and let fly with a powerful strike. Thankfully, Austin was alert and produced a bold, reflex save, tipping the shot onto the crossbar before the ball ricocheted out of danger.

In the closing stages, we searched for a last-minute winner, including a return to action for Shaun Wade after his long-term injury. Despite the late push, Spurs remained compact and disciplined, forcing the Blues to settle for a point in our final fixture of the 2024/25 season.

The teams

Chelsea (4-3-3): Jack Austin; Joseph Wheeler-Henry, Lewi Richards, Olutayo Subuloye, Harry McGlinchey; Ollie Harrison (c), Frankie Runham, Reggie Walsh; Ibrahim Rabbaj (Shaun Wade 69), Sol Gordon, Hezekiah Grimwade (Kobe Barbour h-t)

Unused subs: Hudson Sands, Jeremiah Berkeley-Agyepong, Yahya Idrissi

Booked: Wheeler-Henry 31, Runham 90+3

Sonia Bompastor's side will travel to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the final away game of the season, one week before the Women's Super League campaign concludes with a home fixture against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.

The London derby with Spurs has been selected for broadcast, and will be shown live on the BBC in the UK, with kick off now scheduled for 2.15pm.

Ticket information will follow in due course.

It may have been Enzo Fernandez who got the decisive goal, heading in Cole Palmer’s cross shortly after half-time to give us a 1-0 derby victory, but striker Jackson’s performance on Thursday night underlined his importance to the team in Maresca’s eyes.

The striker was unlucky not to get his name on the score sheet too, hitting the post in the very first minute of the game after getting in behind the Tottenham back line, an example of the different dimension our head coach believes he brings to the Blues.

‘Nico for us, I’ve said many times since we started, that he is an important player because he’s a threat for the defensive line,’ said Maresca after the win over Tottenham at Stamford Bridge.

‘Off the ball he’s pressing everyone. For sure with Nico we are a different team.’

That was particularly important in our last match, as we used that threat in behind from Jackson to stretch Spurs and look for quick opportunities to catch them short of numbers in defence.

Maresca views that ability to adjust our tactics to capitalise on the opposition’s strengths and weaknesses as vital to his plans, pointing to the different approach needed across our five home league wins in a row as an example.

‘This was a different game compared to before the international break. The last four games at home were Leicester, Southampton, West Ham and Wolves, four teams that sit back and wait for us.

‘Tottenham is a different kind of game, so for us in some ways it’s better. But it’s just a matter of different types of games.

‘We are together already for nine months, but until the day that I will leave here I will tell you that our game plan depends on the opponent. We cannot do the same game plan against Tottenham as against Leicester, because they play a completely different way.

‘So the reason last night we used more balls in behind is because of Tottenham, the way they defend, the way they press.’

Chelsea are quickly back in action after that win, making the short away trip across west London to face Brentford in the Premier League on Sunday. With eight matches remaining in that competition, Maresca knows every game will be crucial between now and the end of the season.

‘From Friday morning we are going to prepare for the next game against Brentford. From now on all the games are difficult for us, and for all the rest. So we are going to try to prepare for the next game in the best way and just go game after game.’

It was a testing contest full of ups and downs, but most importantly, the derby contained the full complement of points for the Blues.

After a first-half that saw Nicolas Jackson, Jadon Sancho and Enzo Fernandez go close to breaking the deadlock, it would only take minutes after the interval for the Blues to find that all-important goal as Enzo headed in from Cole Palmer’s cross.

Despite Moises Caicedo and Tottenham having goals disallowed, Chelsea held on for victory at the Bridge - even after a nervy 12 minutes of added time - with Cobham graduate Colwill praising the fans for their role in the win.

‘Three points mean everything, especially in the derby. Anything can happen in this derby and they are a good team, so we had to take it up a step,’ Levi said to Chelsea TV.

‘The fans gave us the emotion, and we felt everything with them. It was an amazing place to play here tonight. It lifted us. In the last 10 minutes, when things got tough, our supporters gave us the energy to keep going.

‘Had the match kept going for another 10 minutes, they would’ve kept giving us that energy. We would have run and given them every single thing we had. We felt in control, even though Tottenham may have had chances or had the ball, and with the added time, we knew we had to do that for another 12 minutes. Like I said, the fans pushed us and made that easy for us.’

As a defender, Colwill was particularly pleased to keep a clean sheet in a derby that tends to see plenty in the way of goalmouth action alongside his centre-back partner Trevoh Chalobah.

‘A clean sheet in a derby means everything to us,’ Levi beamed. ‘I think we were strong, we won our duels and gave them nothing and that’s what we have to take into every game.

‘Playing alongside Trev is amazing because I used to look up to him, and I still do now, probably! I feel like we trust each other and it showed today.’

The 22-year-old also pointed to midfield duo Enzo and Moises Caicedo as another key part of the victory.

He continued: ‘I don’t think people will give [Enzo] as much praise as he should get, especially for that goal. And Moises [Caicedo] was just breaking up every single thing and making everything look so easy. For me, if I have Caicedo playing in front of me, all you hear is ‘wow, Moises!’ He just makes it so easy for us.

‘We have amazing players with big characters and that’s what you need, especially on nights like tonight when there’s a big derby. We have to take that into every other game from now on.’

Full Match: Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham | Video | Official Site  Chelsea

Chelsea retained capital bragging rights with a fourth-consecutive victory over London rivals Tottenham on Thursday evening, as Fernandez headed in Palmer's pinpoint cross to net the only goal of the game.

With Palmer returning to the side after missing the trip to Arsenal before the international break, and getting straight back into things with his eighth Premier League assist of the season, to tee up Fernandez's sixth goal of the campaign, Maresca was pleased with both players' contribution, even if he doesn't want the side to become too reliant one our No20.

'Tonight the assist for Enzo was a top assist,' said our head coach. 'Enzo was in the right position, so I am very happy for both of them.

'Cole Palmer’s performance tonight was very similar to the rest of his performances, the only difference is that in the previous performance he didn’t score or assist. Because he’s a top player, and probably the best player we have, every time he doesn’t score or assist it is news.

'But for me it is something normal. We cannot rely on Cole to score or assist in every game.'

He also felt the performance of the team as a whole was very positive. Even when we were diverted from our preferred possession-based style of play to dig deep and hold our lead during 12 minutes of added time at the end of the game, the Italian feels that kind of experience can only strengthen us as a group.

'Tonight was very important, first of all because of the performance. We know how important it is in this moment to win games, but since we started we try to win games in the way we want and I think tonight the performance as very good and we are happy.

'Probably since day one we don’t work every day to win the game in the way that we played in the last 10 minutes, in terms of waiting for them and giving the ball to them. But if you want to become a team I think you need to also learn to play how we played in the last 10 minutes, to win a game in a dirty way.

'I think for 90 minutes, until the added time, we were in control, we created enough chances to win the game. We created enough chances in the first half.

'To be honest that might have been my mistake because I made a change before I saw the added time and, when I saw it was 12 minutes, I thought it was probably too early to make that kind of change. Fortunately we won the game and we are happy.'

Finally, Maresca had a special message to the Chelsea fans inside Stamford Bridge on Thursday, thanking them for the fantastic atmosphere they created and the relentless backing they gave the Blues players throughout.

'I want to say that my feeling from the bench tonight was that we have the best environment with the fans since the start of the season,' he added. 'I was very happy with the way the fans were tonight.

'With them in the way they were tonight we are going to achieve important things, because they push us and they help us. So I’m very happy and, please, if they can do the same until the end it is good for us.'

Played in a fantastic atmosphere at Stamford Bridge from the off, Chelsea reasserted our derby dominance with another deserved win over Tottenham Hotspur, although there was plenty of drama along the way.

Nicolas Jackson struck the woodwork in the very first minute, but it remained goalless until Fernandez met Cole Palmer's cross with perfect timing to head us into the lead just after half-time. It was a lead we would not surrender.

That's not to say it was straightforward, though, as first Moises Caicedo and then Pape Matar Sarr had goals ruled out by VAR after finding the net from range, and then Sanchez threw himself across his line to somehow keep out Son Heung-Min from close range, meaning it is Chelsea who remain the pride of London.

The selection

Nicolas Jackson was back to lead the line up front, as was Cole Palmer behind him. That saw Pedro Neto moving back to his more familiar role on the wing, with Jadon Sancho on the other flank.

Christopher Nkunku made way for those changes, as did Reece James, with Enzo Fernandez lining up alongside Moises Caicedo in midfield, the Argentinian captaining the Blues.

Robert Sanchez continued in goal, but there were two more changes ahead of him in our defence. Malo Gusto and Trevoh Chalobah came in for Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile, while Levi Colwill and Marc Cucurella retained their places.

On top from the off

Chelsea were agonisingly close to taking the lead inside the first minute, as we made a blistering start to the game in a fantastic derby atmosphere at Stamford Bridge. Right from the off, Jackson was looking to get in behind the Tottenham defence, and he was found early by Chalobah.

Guglielmo Vicario was quick off his line to make the initial save, but in a chaotic few seconds it squirmed past the Spurs keeper, defender Micky Van de Ven attempted to clear, only to strike the ball against Jackson before the ball ricocheted back off the post.

That set the tone for a raucous opening, played at a high tempo, despite a lengthy pause while Caicedo received treatment after a bruising collision with Djed Spence.

We kept up the pressure, with Jackson stretching the visiting defence and Palmer dropping into pockets of space. For the second time, the crowd in the Matthew Harding Stand thought Chelsea had scored, when Gusto smashed a low effort into the side netting from the edge of the box. We were still less than 10 minutes in, but this derby was shaping up nicely.

Keeping the pressure up

Things started to calm a little, but not for long, while we were still finding ways to threaten, the momentum remaining firmly with the Blues.

That was shown when Sancho and Palmer combined well down the left, allowing the latter to square dangerously across goal. Fernandez was poised to meet it, but Destiny Udogie got back in time to make a crucial challenge and Vicario was able to gather the ball just before it crossed the line.

Increasingly as we approached the end of the first half, Tottenham’s defensive efforts were beginning to look ragged and even desperate at times, as they hacked the ball clear into touch more frequently.

There was to be no goal before half-time, although Sancho thought he had found the net when latching on to a deep Neto cross, but Vicario somehow reacted quickly to tip the shot over the bar. The opening 45 minutes then ended in fiery circumstances, as a push by Cristian Romero on Levi Colwill sparked a late melee, which saw Romero and Chalobah becoming the first names in the referee's book.

Pride of London

We started the second half full of energy, looking to maintain our momentum from the first, being roared on by the home fans again. Palmer stung Vicario's palms from a tight angle in a sign of intent and, less than five minutes after the restart, the visiting keeper was picking the ball out of his net.

Cucurella did well to recycle possession and feed Palmer out on the left, and the England international's delivery was inch perfect. The pace and curl bent it in behind the Tottenham defenders, where Fernandez had lost his marker to arrive in space and head comfortably into the top corner. He may have made the finish look simple, but the celebrations were wild, tearing away towards the supporters in the front row of the Matthew Harding Stand, thumping the Chelsea badge on his chest.

The Blues thought we had got a second almost instantly, when Caicedo lashed a brilliant volley into the bottom corner from the edge of the box, but a lengthy VAR review determined there had been an offside at the free-kick which led to it, meaning it was ruled out. A 2-0 lead would have been no less than we deserved, though, in this increasingly fiery derby.

Fuse lit

Massively against the run of play, it seemed like Tottenham might have found an equaliser out of nowhere, when substitute Sarr, only on the pitch for a few minutes, fired into the bottom corner from range. However, the Chelsea players were adamant there was a foul on Caicedo first and, after heading to the touchline screen for another look, the referee Craig Pawson agreed.

Instead of a goal, Sarr was handed a yellow card, but by now the noise levels inside the Bridge had jumped up another notch, as had the tempo on the pitch. Vicario needed quick reactions to turn away a Fernandez drive, before being at full stretch to tip a dangerous Palmer cross away from the waiting Noni Madueke.

A clear chance remained elusive at either end for most of the last 15 minutes, though, a situation which suited Chelsea far more than Tottenham. It took a brilliant save by Sanchez in the last minute, as well as some street-smart defending through 12 added minutes, but our dominance in this London derby was once again confirmed at the final whistle, with a fourth successive victory over our capital rivals.

What it means

This win means we return to the top four in the Premier League table, one point ahead of fifth-placed Manchester City, with eight games remaining.

What is next

We are back in derby action in three days' time, when we make the short trip to Brentford for a 2pm kick-off in the Premier League on Sunday 6 April. Attention will then switch to the UEFA Conference League and the first leg of our quarter-final away at Legia Warsaw, at 5.45pm on Thursday 10 April

The teams

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Sanchez, Gusto, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella, Caicedo, Fernandez (c) (Dewsbury-Hall 90+1), Neto, Palmer (Tosin 90+1), Sancho (Madueke 68), Jackson (James 82)

Unused subs: Jorgensen, Acheampong, Badiashile, George, Nkunku

Scorer: Fernandez 50

Booked: Chaloabh 45+1, Jackson 67, Cucurella 74, Palmer 86

Tottenham (4-3-3): Vicario, Spence, Romero, Van de Ven (Porro 87), Udogie, Bergvall (Sarr 65), Bentancur, Maddison (Tel 87), Odobert (Johnson 65), Solanke, Son (c)

Unused subs: Kinsky, Davies, Bissouma, Gray, Moore

Booked: Romero 45+1, Sarr 73, Porro 90+8, Johnson 90+9, Spence 90+13

Nicolas Jackson is back to lead the line up front after missing the trip to Arsenal before the international break, as is Cole Palmer behind him. That is likely to see Pedro Neto moving back to his more familiar role on the wing, with Jadon Sancho on the other flank.

Christopher Nkunku makes way for those changes, as does Reece James, with Enzo Fernandez set to line up alongside Moises Caicedo in midfield, the Argentinian captaining the Blues tonight.

Robert Sanchez continues in goal, but there are two more changes ahead of him in our defence. Malo Gusto and Trevoh Chalobah come in for Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile, while Levi Colwill and Marc Cucurella retain their places.

Noni Madueke also returns from his absence, taking a place among our substitutes on Thursday evening.

Tottenham have made five changes to their team, following a 2-0 loss to Fulham last time out. Micky Van de Ven, Lucas Bergvall, James Maddison, Wilson Odobert and Son Heung-Min all come in for Spurs, as Ben Davies, Yves Bissouma, Archie Gray, Brennan Johnson and Mathys Tel dropping out.

Chelsea: Sanchez, Gusto, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella, Caicedo, Fernandez (c), Neto, Palmer, Sancho, Jackson

Chelsea substitutes: Jorgensen, Acheampong, Badiashile, Tosin, James, Dewsbury-Hall, George, Madueke, Nkunku

Tottenham: Vicario, Spence, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie, Bergvall, Bentancur, Maddison, Odobert, Solanke, Son (c)

Tottenham substitutes: Kinsky, Davies, Porro, Bissouma, Gray, Sarr, Moore, Johnson, Tel

The referee is Craig Pawson.

After a 17-day break, Enzo Maresca’s team are about to enter a busy phase, starting with successive derby clashes tonight against Tottenham and on Sunday at Brentford.

Last time out, a depleted Blues side were edged 1-0 in another all-London affair at Arsenal. Spurs slipped to 14th with a 2-0 loss down the road at Fulham and they trail the fourth-placed Blues by 15 points with nine league games remaining.

Both of tonight’s teams still have their eye on European glory, with quarter-final legs over the next two Thursdays. In fact, the London pair’s progress forced UEFA to reverse the order of Chelsea’s Conference League fixtures against Legia Warsaw.

With European qualification on the domestic front seemingly unlikely for Spurs, the Europa League and the prize of Champions League entry will surely dominate Ange Postecoglu’s thoughts, but not before tonight’s capital grudge match has run its course.

Meanwhile, the Blues have the chance to secure a fourth victory in a row against Tottenham home and away, continuing our best run against them since 2002.

Team news

Having missed several players for the narrow 1-0 loss away at Arsenal in our last match due to injury, Maresca had stated that he hoped some of them would be available again when we returned from the international break.

In his pre-match press conference on Thursday, our head coach confirmed that is indeed the case for attacking trio Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke and Nicolas Jackson.

‘Cole is back, he is okay. He is better, Noni is better and Nico is better. They are all good,’ Maresca confirmed to the media at Cobham.

Asked whether Palmer, Jackson and Madueke were fit to start the game in a later interview, Maresca replied ‘yes’, before commenting on their prospects of playing the full 90 minutes.

‘Probably Nico and Noni, no, because they come back after two months, and Cole is just in case he has to play 90 minutes.’

The history

Chelsea have recorded 67 league victories against Tottenham (and Newcastle United), making them our favourite opponents.

The first instance of this London derby came in December 1909 at the Bridge, following Spurs’ promotion to the top flight. The Pensioners prevailed 2-1, Jimmy Windridge opening the scoring with a header before Joe Bradshaw netted with 15 minutes to go. Billy Minter replied at the death for the visitors.

The Blues were unbeaten against our London rivals home and away in a run of 32 league matches between 1990 and 2006, and still dominated the home fixture after a loss at the Lane.

Most famously, title-chasing Spurs received a Premier League record nine yellow cards (plus a violent conduct ban for Mousa Dembele) during the ‘Battle of the Bridge’ in 2016. Chelsea came from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 through Gary Cahill and a wonder goal from Eden Hazard, handing Leicester City the league crown.

In fact, the north Londoners’ only league win in 39 visits to the Bridge since February 1990 came in April 2018. Alvaro Morata struck first but Christian Eriksen and a Dele Alli brace completed an unexpected comeback.

Chelsea have won four of the six meetings in west London since then, and each of the past three. Late last season, Trevoh Chalobah and Nicolas Jackson sealed a 2-0 win for a very young Blues side, during which Josh Acheampong made his debut.

Know this...

Chelsea have won each of our past four league games at Stamford Bridge, the last two with a clean sheet.

The Blues are targeting a fifth league ‘double’ this evening, adding to the ones already achieved against West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Leicester and Southampton.

Of the 23 Premier League goals Jackson has scored for the Blues, 11 have come in London derbies (four of them against Tottenham).

Most Premier League goals against a single opponent

Arsenal vs Everton - 124

Chelsea vs Tottenham Hotspur - 120

Liverpool vs Newcastle United - 120

Manchester United vs Everton - 120

Arsenal (31) and Liverpool (35) are the only clubs to have racked up more home points than Chelsea (28) this season.

Only relegation-haunted Leicester (10) and Southampton (12) have lost more times on the road than Tottenham (eight), which is Spurs' worst return since 2008/09.