Chelsea

Chelsea and Spurs do battle in the penultimate match of the season, and our final home game of the campaign, in a contest which always promises to be action-packed.

Speaking to the media before kick-off, our interim boss provided an update on the likes of Joao Pedro, Levi Colwill and Malo Gusto, who all started against Manchester City during our FA Cup final defeat, but don't feature this evening.

‘We had a big game on Saturday, and there are a few lads who are carrying some knocks,’ he said. ‘There are some lads that we need to manage in terms of their previous injuries. I’m eager to freshen up the squad from the game on Saturday.’

Following the game, Joao Pedro was confirmed as our Player of the Season, as voted for by supporters, but was, unfortunately, not included in the Brazil squad for the upcoming World Cup.

Calum has backed the forward to bounce back, explaining: ‘I spoke to Joao briefly. He’s had a great season and has just been voted our Player of the Season. He’s done amazing things this year, and it’s part of football. He will respond to that well.’

It is only three days since we faced Manchester City at Wembley in the FA Cup final, but a quick turnaround means we have another important game on Tuesday evening as we host Spurs in a crucial game for our European ambitions and our opponents’ fight against relegation.

It looks like the Blues will revert to a back four at the Bridge, as defenders Levi Colwill, Malo Gusto and Reece James are not in tonight’s starting line-up. Robert Sanchez will be between the post, with Josh Acheampong coming into the defence alongside Wesley Fofana, Jorrel Hato and Marc Cucurella.

Andrey Santos returns in midfield with Moises Caicedo, while Enzo Fernandez captains the side. Pedro Neto comes into the side on the flank, with Cole Palmer on the other wing, behind striker Liam Delap, who replaces Joao Pedro.

Tottenham are unchanged from the team which drew 1-1 with Leeds United in their last match.

Chelsea: Sanchez, Acheampong, Fofana, Hato, Cucurella, Caicedo, Santos, Palmer, Fernandez (c), Neto, Delap

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

Tottenham: Kinsky, Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Udogie, Bentancur, Palhinha, Kolo Muani, Gallagher, Tel, Richarlison

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

London's Finest vs Spurs | Video | Official Site  Chelsea

Having suffered an ACL injury ahead of the start of the campaign, Colwill has been back in the Blues' backline this month and showing no signs of rustiness, performing admirably in our recent matches at Anfield and Wembley.

'To be honest, I feel normal again,' he said. 'I feel free – nothing to complain about. The first time you step back out there to play again you just feel excitement and you always want the ball – like, I just want it!

'I would say there’s a sense of relief, it’s like a deep breath and I’m here now, but then you’ve got a whole other level that you need to try and get yourself to, and then be better than what you were before. So there’s always different challenges, but the first big step is ticked off.'

The Academy graduate takes a detailed look back at his road to recovery and tells us why he can't wait for tonight's game against Tottenham Hotspur.

'It’s huge. Playing at Stamford Bridge against Tottenham is always electric. It was the best game I’ve ever played last year against Tottenham. The fans and players are always up for it. There’s something in the air, that extra per cent.'

Elsewhere in the programme, the 10-year anniversary of the Battle of the Bridge is marked with an in-depth feature on one of the Premier League's most iconic fixtures, while our Over Land and Sea series concludes with a tribute to the three Italians – Roberto Di Matteo, Gianluca Vialli and Gianfranco Zola – who arrived three decades ago and each wrote their own unique chapter in the club's history.

In addition to all that, Chelsea Women head coach Sonia Bompastor pays tribute to departing legends Millie Bright and Sam Kerr in her final column of the season, and all the latest action for our Under-21s and Under-18s is covered.

There's also columns from head coach Calum McFarlane and captain Reece James, plus a message from the Sporting Leadership and Directors as we prepare to play our final home fixture of the season.

For the Blues, it is a crucial fixture in our quest to qualify for European football next season. Competing in all three UEFA competitions is still a possibility, depending on our and others’ results this week.

Tottenham, meanwhile, are still fighting for their Premier League lives. They know a point would all but guarantee their safety, avoiding the risk of taking the relegation battle to the final game.

There is plenty at stake, and McFarlane knows a Chelsea win could help strengthen the bond between his team and the Blues faithful.

‘Tottenham adds an extra incentive,’ he said. ‘Any London derby does. We want to put on a show for the fans. We want to perform at our best level at Stamford Bridge in front of the fans, in a London derby to get three points, to put ourselves in the best position to get European football.

‘We'll be doing everything we can to give the fans a positive performance and result.’

McFarlane acknowledged the appointment of Xabi Alonso in the build-up to the match could provide the players with extra motivation, but ultimately, their self-determination is what counts most.

‘These are top-level professionals, elite athletes that only get to this level by having a certain mindset, and they will want to win those two games regardless of whether there is a manager in place or not.

‘You saw at Liverpool and in the cup final that there's a professional pride there, and we need to tap into that.’

This perennially fierce derby clash was postponed from three days ago as a result of the Blues’ involvement in the FA Cup final. Small margins in key moments meant the Londoners were disappointed at Wembley, but down the years few fixtures have had the power to electrify a dressing room and fanbase as much as this one.

Most importantly, the Blues can bounce back to claim a UEFA ticket over the remaining two league games – though plunging a major rival back into the Championship relegation mix is another compelling motivation.

Lilywhites coach Roberto De Zerbi has had an instant impact, already steering his new team to success at Wolverhampton Wanderers and Aston Villa. He knows, despite Leeds United’s leveller eight days ago, that West Ham United’s loss at Newcastle United on Sunday means one point at the Bridge will secure their status among the Premier League elite for another season.

When the two sides met in the reverse fixture in November, Joao Pedro scored the only goal, and the Blues won each of the past three of our five previous games against De Zerbi, at his former club Brighton & Hove Albion.

Both combatants have performed better on the road. The Blues rank 13th best at home but third away, while for the Lilywhites it’s 19th and fifth.

The poignant end-of-season context may evoke memories of the bitter relegation clash that went Spurs’ way at White Hart Lane in 1975 and Chelsea shredding Spurs’ title dream in 2016, and history is against the visitors.

The world champions are aiming for a sixth-straight top-flight victory against the Cockerels, to claim a third consecutive league double over them and 15th overall.

Chelsea team news

Calum McFarlane was waiting until after yesterday's training session before making a decision over Levi Colwill’s availability to face Tottenham Hotspur, and the same approach will be taken with the rest of the Chelsea squad following the FA Cup final.

‘We need to be careful with Levi,' said McFarlane in his pre-match press conference on Monday. 'He's obviously off the back of a very serious injury and has performed well in two games. We'll see how he looks, how he reports, and we'll make a decision on that.'

There was also an update on the status of Romeo Lavia, Benoit Badiashile and Mamadou Sarr, after the trio were absent from the squad for Saturday's FA Cup final.

'Romeo took a slight knock in the build-up to the game,' our interim head coach added. 'Nothing major, but with Romeo, we didn't want to take that risk. I thought he was brilliant in the games that he did play, and he gave us a lot the same way Levi did, but we just have to be careful with players that have had that injury history.

'[Badiashile and Sarr] didn't make the squad. They're training really well, training really hard. We can use them in the next two games, potentially, but we've got a lot of players in those positions, so you want to make sure you've got the right balance on your bench, but nothing to report with those two.'

The history

There have been plenty of semi-finals between the Blues and the Lilywhites, the first Cockney cup final in 1967, but derbies that settled relegation issues or confirmed title hopes also linger in the memory.

Chelsea have won 69 of the league match-ups in the 115-year-old crosstown rivalry with Tottenham – the most against any club.

As early as 30 April 1910, Stamford Bridge staged a relegation four-pointer (two for a win in those days) between west and north London’s finest. Weeks earlier a swap deal had brought the great Vivian ‘Jack’ Woodward to Stamford Bridge, but saw Percy Humphreys exit for White Hart Lane.

This was part of the injury-stricken Blues’ plan to recruit players as a lifeline to avoid the drop. So many were brought in that the ‘moneybags’ new club were accused of buying safety, and the transfer deadline was introduced as a direct consequence.

Almost every new hire was injured or ineffective, however, and so the last game of the season would end top-flight status for one of those involved. Inevitably, perhaps, Humphreys scored the goal that ended the Blues’ Division One status that afternoon.

In April 1975, 65 years later, the pair met with Spurs in the drop-zone and Chelsea one point above. Ray Wilkins became the Blues’ youngest permanent appointment as skipper before the derby clash at the Lane.

Pre-match tensions boiled over very badly, the start was delayed and Tottenham won 2-0 to move one clear of Eddie McCreadie’s youthful team, who could not win either of the two remaining fixtures and tumbled into the second tier.

In March 2006, the Blues were mourning the death of Peter Osgood while pressing towards back-to-back Premier League title successes, when Martin Jol’s fourth-placed Spurs aimed to spoil the fun. It was expected to be one of the tighter run-in matches, but Michael Essien converted early on for Jose Mourinho’s team and, after Jermaine Jenas equalised, William Gallas thumped home the last-minute winner from 20 yards.

The remarkable ‘battle of the Bridge’ on 2 May 2016 saw the Cockerels, vying for the crown with Claudio Ranieri’s Leicester City, face a Chelsea side enduring our worst league performance for 20 years.

A Premier League record nine Spurs players were cautioned - referee Mark Clattenburg admitting three of those could have been red - as the Blues sensationally overturned a 2-0 half-time deficit. Gary Cahill struck first from Willian’s corner, before Eden Hazard almost blew the roof off the Bridge with the stunning equaliser that killed our bitter rivals’ dream.

The one-sided nature of this derby in the Premier League era is reflected in a disparity of 116 in goal difference between the two sides from our meetings (+59 for the Blues, -59 for the Lilywhites).

Premier League Chelsea vs Tottenahm derbies

Played

Won

Drawn

Lost

Goal difference

Points

Points per game

Chelsea

+59

Tottenham

-59

Know this...

This is the 41st of the 42 London derbies to be played in this season’s Premier League, and potentially one of the most decisive, with Arsenal against Crystal Palace the capital’s finale.

Chelsea have beaten Tottenham on more occasions on all fronts than any other opponent. Only Manchester United (40) have beaten Spurs more times than the Blues in the Premier League (38).

Cole Palmer has contributed towards five goals in four Premier League performances against the Cockerels, scoring three and assisting two.

Chelsea have suffered only one defeat in our past 40 home games across all competitions since 1990 against Tottenham, winning 26 and drawing 13.

The Blues last managed six straight wins in a row against Spurs between 2000 and 2002. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink netted eight times in that run.

The Blues have not lost our final home league game in any of the last 23 seasons (16 wins, seven draws) since 2001/02.

Tottenham have lost each of their last four Premier League London derbies.

Premier League London derbies 2025/26

Played

Won

Drawn

Lost

Goal difference

Points

Points per game

Arsenal

+17

Chelsea

+10

Crystal Palace

+2

Fulham

-2

Brentford

-5

Tottenham

-6

West Ham

-16

Our home campaign draws to a close on Tuesday evening with a crunch fixture at both ends of the table, adding extra spice to what is always a special occasion.

Things have not gone well at SW6 in recent months, with our last Premier League victory on home soil all the way back in January. For Chalobah, this derby provides the perfect opportunity to end that barren run and send the Blues faithful home happy one more time in 2025/26.

‘It's been a difficult season, not just for us, for the fans also, so we’re going to give it our all and go for it,’ said Chalobah.

‘We are desperate to get back to winning ways, and not just because it’s against Tottenham and it’s our last home game. We’ve got two massive games coming up to put things right and hopefully get ourselves into Europe.

‘Hopefully the fans can bring the noise and the energy that we need because we know it's a rivalry game, and we have the opportunity to show the fans that we are fighting for the club.’

Historically our home record against Tottenham is very strong, with the north London outfit registering just a solitary win at the Bridge in the Premier League era. However, Chalobah believes that counts for nothing come kick-off on Tuesday.

He explained: ‘Stats like that shouldn't matter. It's whoever turns up in the game. You can see all those stats but it's all about desire and heart. I know we've got that and I know we're going to show that.

‘A win against Tottenham is always good and for us it would be even better getting that three points for where we want to go to. Getting European football is our goal right now. Obviously it's been difficult, we've made it difficult for ourselves, but we have a massive two games left to try to achieve that.’

This crunch fixture comes hot on the heels of the news that Xabi Alonso will be the Blues' manager from next season.

A great midfielder in his playing days and now a manager with Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid already on his CV, Alonso’s arrival has left Chalobah enthusiastic about the club’s future.

‘It's a really exciting appointment and we're looking forward to that next season,’ Chalobah said.

‘His career has been amazing and it’s not a surprise he’s a manager now. You can see that obviously he loves football. Him being the manager now, for us players we can look up to that, knowing he's been there, he's done it, and also has that coaching ability and strategies to go and manage.

‘It’s nice having him come and obviously for us to follow him and for him to lead us. We'll be looking forward to that next season, but this season's not done yet and we've still got two massive finals.’

It was a disappointing afternoon at Wembley over the weekend as we fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup final, but our focus quickly switched back to the Premier League with the games coming thick and fast ahead of the end of the season.

Next up is our penultimate match of the campaign, and our final bow at Stamford Bridge, as we host Tottenham with Spurs' Premier League survival still up in the air.

Interim head coach Calum McFarlane highlighted during his pre-match press conference that a decision will be made on certain players after our training session, including on the likes of Levi Colwill, following the centre-back's return from long-term injury.

Pictured on the grass this afternoon were the likes of Enzo Fernandez, Jorrel Hato, Joao Pedro and Robert Sanchez, alongside Blues trio Moises Caicedo, Trevoh Chalobah and Reece James, with our sights firmly set on getting a positive result against Spurs.

You can scroll down now to catch some of the best pictures from the workout at our Cobham training base, and remember, you can follow all the build-up and live match coverage of our clash with Spurs on the Chelsea Official App and website.

Following Sunday’s Premier League games and heading into our penultimate match of the season, Chelsea are 10th on 49 points, although we have a game in hand over the three teams above us and the six below.

Spurs are 17th, two points clear of West Ham United and the relegation zone with a game in hand, following the Hammers’ defeat at Newcastle United on Sunday.

Head-to-head

Since 1990, Chelsea have had one defeat in our past 40 home games in all competitions against Tottenham, winning 26 and drawing 13. Our one defeat was in April 2018. Tottenham have won one of their last 14 Premier League games against Chelsea (two draws, 11 defeats), a 2-0 home win in February 2023.

Chelsea have won our last five Premier League games against Spurs and are aiming for a sixth straight win, a feat last achieved also with six consecutive victories between 2000 and 2002. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink scored eight goals in those games.

The Blues have won more games in all competitions against Tottenham than we have against any other club. We have also scored 122 goals in 67 Premier League games against Tottenham, more than against any other opponent.

We are unbeaten in our last nine Premier League meetings with Tottenham when scoring first (eight wins, one draw).

Chelsea are going for a league double against Spurs for the third consecutive season and 15th overall. We have only achieved more doubles against Fulham (15).

In the reverse fixture at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in November, a first-half goal from Joao Pedro earned us the three points.

Head-to-head (all competitions)

Played: 180

Won: 82

Drawn: 43

Lost: 55

Last five meetings at Stamford Bridge

Biggest win for each team:

Tottenham 5-0 Chelsea 1920/21 Division One

Tottenham 1-6 Chelsea 1997/98 Premier League

Chelsea’s biggest league win at home to Spurs is 4-0 in 2001/02 and 2013/14 in the Premier League

Tottenham’s biggest win at Stamford Bridge is 4-0 in 1920/21 and 1933/34 in Division One

Chelsea stats

Chelsea have not lost our final home league game in any of the last 23 seasons (16 wins, seven draws), since a 3-1 defeat to Aston Villa in 2001/02.

The Blues have lost one of our last 15 London derbies in the league at Stamford Bridge (10 wins, four draws), going unbeaten in seven since a 2-1 defeat to Fulham on Boxing Day 2024.

Chelsea have gained 14 points from losing positions this season.

Enzo Fernandez’s goal at Anfield was our second this season scored from a direct free-kick from outside the area, after Reece James at Newcastle in December.

Against Liverpool, Joao Pedro became the first Chelsea player to attempt five or more take-ons in a Premier League game and complete 100 per cent of them since Conor Gallagher against Bournemouth in May 2024.

Cole Palmer has contributed to five goals in four Premier League appearances against Spurs, scoring three and assisting two.

In total 20 different Chelsea players have scored for the Blues across all competitions this season. Our club record is 21, originally set in 2021/22 and equalled last season.

Tuesday’s game is on 19 May, a date that holds happy memories for Chelsea. The Blues are unbeaten in eight competitive matches played on this day, winning six and drawing two. We have also lifted three trophies on 19 May — the 2012 UEFA Champions League, plus the 2007 and 2018 FA Cups — and contested the 1971 Cup Winners’ Cup final, which we went on to win in the replay two days later.

Premier League scorers

Joao Pedro 15, Fernandez 9 (2 pens), Palmer 9 (5 pens), Neto 5, Caicedo 3, Chalobah 3, Gusto 2, Estevao 2, James 2, Acheampong 1, Cucurella 1, Delap 1, Garnacho 1, own goal 1

Premier League assists

Joao Pedro 5, Cucurella 4, Garnacho 4, James 4, Neto 4, Fernandez 3, Gusto 3, Estevao 2, Gittens 2, Caicedo 1, Fofana 1, Guiu 1, Palmer 1, Sanchez 1

Most Premier League minutes played

Fernandez 2,941, Sanchez 2,861, Chalobah 2,741, Caicedo 2,627, Joao Pedro 2,584, Cucurella 2,530, Neto 2,489, Gusto 2,182, James 1,923, Palmer 1,786

Milestones

If selected, Trevoh Chalobah will make his 150th appearance for the club.

Joao Pedro is one game away from a half-century of games for Chelsea this season.

Fernandez made his 150th start for the Blues in the FA Cup final on Saturday. Pedro Neto played his 50th Chelsea game of the season in the same game.

Tottenham stats

This season’s Premier League stats

Most minutes played: Van de Ven 2,863, Vicario 2,790, Porro 2,618, Palhinha 2,039, Spence 1,944

Most goals: Richarlison 10, Palhinha 4, Romero 4, Tel 4, Van de Ven 4

Most assists: Kudus 5, Simons 5, Richarlison 4, Bergvall 3, Sarr 3

Most duels won: Palhinha 179, Romero 155, Porro 130, Richarlison 125

Clean sheets: Vicario 7, Kinsky 1

Most fouls conceded: Kolo Muani 39, Romero 32, Porro 29, Sarr 27

Most yellow cards: Porro 9, Romero 9, Danso 8, Ven de Ven 8

Red cards: Romero 2, Simons 1, Van de Ven 1

Tottenham are looking to extend their unbeaten Premier League run to five games for the first time for over two years.

Only Arsenal (35) and Manchester City (32) have won more points away from home this season than Tottenham (26). Tottenham have won a higher proportion of their points in 2025/26 away from home than any other team in any season in Premier League history (68.4 per cent).

Spurs have won their last two Premier League away games, their longest such run since a four-match streak between September and November 2020.

Tottenham have lost each of their last four Premier League London derbies, last losing more consecutively between March and October 2021 (five).

Spurs have earned as many points from their last four Premier League games (eight) as they did across their previous 17 combined (one win, five draws, 11 defeats).

They have only conceded one goal in the opening 45 minutes of their five games under Roberto De Zerbi, having conceded in the first half in each of their previous 11.

After Mathys Tel's goal for Tottenham against Leeds United last week, Spurs (and Arsenal) have broken the record for goals from corners in a single Premier League season (17).

Tottenham and Aston Villa are the only Premier League teams yet to be awarded a penalty this season.

Roberto De Zerbi’s management record vs Chelsea

Won: 2

Drawn: 0

Lost: 3

Last five Tottenham results

Sunderland (a) L 1-0

Brighton & Hove Albon (h) D 2-2

Wolverhampton Wanderers (a) W 1-0

Aston Villa (a) W 2-1

Leeds United (h) D 1-1

Last Premier League line-up

Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Leeds United

Monday 11 May

Team (4-2-3-1): Kinsky; Porro, Danso, Van de Ven (c), Udogie (Spence 85); Palhinha, Bentancur (Bergvall 81); Kolo Muani, Gallagher, Tel (Maddison 85); Richarlison

Scorer: Tel 50

Discipline

There are no suspensions.

Match officials

Referee: Stuart Attwell

Assistants: Constantine Hatzidakis, Nick Greenhalgh

Fourth official: Andy Madley

VAR: John Brooks

Assistant VAR: Dan Robathan

Stuart Attwell is officiating his third Chelsea match this season, having previously refereed our 2-2 draw at Brentford in September and our 2-1 home defeat to Aston Villa in December.

Chelsea's own Matchday Live show: Fans can follow minute-by-minute updates and live audio commentary from five minutes before kick-off on the Chelsea Official App and our website's Chelsea vs Tottenham Hotspur Match Centre.

Our Chelsea vs Tottenham Hotspur Match Centre is the place to get the confirmed Chelsea starting XI as soon as it is announced, while you can also follow the action with live text updates, stats and imagery throughout the game.

Live Audio Commentary will be available on the Chelsea Official App and website starting five minutes before kick-off from the Chelsea vs Tottenham Hotspur Match Centre.

Chelsea full matches and highlights are also available on the Chelsea Official App and website. You can watch the Chelsea vs Tottenham match back in full from midnight on the night of Tuesday 19 May on the Chelsea Official App and website, while short highlights will be available to watch from midnight on Tuesday 19 May too.