Chelsea vs. Tottenham: Team News, Live Stream, TV Info, Ticket News
On the back of Leicester City's draw with Manchester United on Sunday, Chelsea fans have been gifted the game they all wanted.
Now, if the Blues prevent Tottenham Hotspur claiming victory on Monday, they will deny Mauricio Pochettino's side any hope of winning the Premier League title this term.
There was a risk we would never reach this stage. After Spurs dropped points against West Bromwich Albion last week, a Leicester victory at the weekend would have made them champions, rendering Monday's London derby a dead rubber.
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Instead the Foxes drew 1-1 at Old Trafford to leave them eight points clear at the top with two games remaining, making it game on at Stamford Bridge.
Spurs have three matches left and must take maximum points—and even that may not be enough if Leicester remain undefeated. The White Hart Lane team's task on Monday is made that bit harder by the fact they haven't won at Stamford Bridge since 1990.
The build-up to this fixture has made it one of the most anticipated London derbies in recent years.
Eden Hazard poked the fire with his comments that Chelsea don't want Spurs to win the title, per BBC Sport's Match of the Day. Pedro also jumped into the conversation when he told the Evening Standard the Blues were extra motivated to defeat their rivals.
Speaking at his Friday press conference, Chelsea interim boss Guus Hiddink played the role of peace keeper when he attempted to play down the significance of facing Spurs as such a vital stage of the campaign.
"We desperately want to win the next game, which is Spurs, and then there are massive games against Sunderland, Liverpool and Leicester after that," he said, suggesting Chelsea have their focus on all the teams they will play between now and the end of the season.
"It’s normal to have scrutiny from the press because you are playing in the limelight. It’s not extra scrutiny. We want to fulfil our obligations now, and in the upcoming games. I cannot guarantee the [results] but I can guarantee that the effort will be there, and not just on Monday."
After a disappointing season, Chelsea fans will take pleasure in denying Spurs any form of success this year. The clubs have a bitter rivalry dating back to the 1960s, and the feeling now is that whatever happens at Stamford Bridge, Monday's game is only going to add to it.
Chelsea fans, Spurs fans and neutrals alike should be in for a treat.
Match Details
Date: Monday, 2 May
Time: 8 p.m. BST/3 p.m. ET
Venue: Stamford Bridge, London
TV Info: Sky Sports 1 ( UK only)/NBC Sports (U.S. only)
Live Stream: Sky Go app/NBCSN (U.S. only)
Last 5 Games
| Mar. 19 | Chelsea 2-2 West Ham United |
| Apr. 2 | Aston Villa 0-4 Chelsea |
| Apr. 9 | Swansea City 1-0 Chelsea |
| Apr. 16 | Chelsea 0-3 Manchester City |
| Apr. 23 | Bournemouth 1-4 Chelsea |
| Mar. 20 | Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 Bournemouth |
| Apr. 2 | Liverpool 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur |
| Apr. 10 | Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 Manchester United |
| Apr. 18 | Stoke City 0-4 Tottenham Hotspur |
| Apr. 25 | Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 West Bromwich Albion |
Predicted Lineups
Hiddink confirmed on Friday that he is expecting John Terry and Gary Cahill to be back in his matchday squad on Monday.
"They have both participated in this week’s training session. I think they are OK to come into the 18," he said. "It’s good to have them back. John was out for a longer period due to injury. Gary is a little bit the same. But it’s good to have them back."
Thibaut Courtois serves the last of his two-game ban, while Loic Remy remains sidelined with a groin strain.
As for Spurs, Dele Alli is suspended, while Eric Dier could miss out with concussion.
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Begovic; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta; Mikel, Fabregas; Willian, Hazard, Pedro; Costa.
Tottenham Hotspur (4-2-3-1): Lloris; Walker, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Rose; Dier, Dembele; Lamela, Eriksen, Chadli; Kane.
Key Players
The Spaniard has talked a good game up to this point. Now he needs to show he really means it when he says he is determined to break Tottenham hearts.
If Fabregas is on form on Monday night, Chelsea will be a completely different side to the one we have seen for much of the season. When he's controlling proceedings, like we saw at Bournemouth last week, there are few better in Europe.
The 28-year-old is the man who brings Chelsea together. He gets attacks started from deep and really knows how to get the best out of Diego Costa, who will be making runs in behind the defence, looking for a Fabregas pass.
With his history as an ex-Arsenal player, this game is set for him to take centre stage.
Harry Kane
On the flip side, should Spurs provide good service to Harry Kane, the Englishman is in the sort of form that Chelsea's struggling defence doesn't want to come up against right now.
It was on New Year's Day 2015 that Kane took Chelsea to town. He ripped through the back line at White Hart Lane, scoring twice as Spurs romped to a 5-3 win.
Kane has been in that sort of form all season, so Chelsea will be wary of him putting in a repeat performance to keep Spurs in the title race.
The key is to cutting off his supply, much like Chelsea did in the 2015 Capital One Cup final. The 22-year-old was starved of service and forced to play deep for much of the afternoon, which is where any striker proves ineffective.
Ticket Information
For ticket information on all Premier League games, visit the official site or go to the ticket page on Chelsea's official website. Secondary ticket information for Chelsea can be found here.
Prediction
Chelsea 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur
Odds
Home Win: 153/100
Away Win: 17/10
Draw: 23/10
First Goalscorer: Eden Hazard (19/2)
Odds via Odds Shark and Oddschecker
Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes
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