Chelsea vs. Tottenham Hotspur: Preview, Live Stream, Start Time and More

FC Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur will be facing each other this Sunday for a spot at the FA Cup—world’s oldest association soccer competition.

There is no superior team between the two. Up until a month ago, when former Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas was sacked, I would have bet that the Spurs would win. Now, I’m not so sure.

Interim manager Roberto Di Matteo has been able to rotate the players in a way that works well for the team.

He put back in play some of Villas-Boas’ rejects. John Obi Mikel and Salomon Kalou proved they still got it when they helped the Blues beat Benfica 1-0 at the Estadio da Luz.

Under Di Matteo Chelsea survived an embarrassing exit from the Champions League this season and managed to get back in the fight for the first four spots.

The FA Cup trophy obviously doesn’t mean the world to the clubs. But when it could be their only trophy during the season, it’s hard to tell.

In any case, this match is a battle for London. That always promises a spectacle.

Where: Wembley Stadium, London, England

When: Sunday, April 15th  at 1 p.m. ET

Live Stream: FOX Deportes, Fox Soccer Channel

Key Question: What does Chelsea have in mind? Champions League or FA Cup?

To many, the answer is obvious.

But in all honesty, the Blues have a much better chance of winning the FA Cup than of beating FC Barcelona to advance to the Champions League finals.

If it’s the former, the game will be more interesting to watch.

If it’s the ladder, Di Matteo will probably choose to rest some of his star players. Didier Drogba is likely to start and Fernando Torres will be on the bench.

Rotation is not an issue for the Blues’ manager. What he and his players have a problem with is their schedule. The Wednesday after the semifinals at Wembley, they host reigning champion FC Barcelona at Stamford Bridge.

Tottenham, on the other hand, have got it a little easier.

They are fourth in the Premier League with same number of point as Newcastle United. They are hoping to keep that fourth spot, which guarantees them a spot in the 2013 UEFA Champions League.

Joining them are none other than Chelsea. They are currently sixth with only two points behind Tottenham.

The Spurs have a relatively easy schedule up until the end of the regular season. Their toughest opponent is Fulham, which are currently ninth.

Player to watch from Tottenham: Gareth Bale

There is no surprise here. He is always the one to watch from Tottenham’s squad. He was dangerous many times when Tottenham reached an inspiring victory over Bolton 3-1 in the FA Cup quarterfinals (The original game was stopped because of Fabrice Muamba’s on-field cardiac arrest). Bale scored the second goal.

Player to watch from Chelsea: Ramires

The Brazilian midfielder, who recently signed a new five-year contract to stay in London is very efficient when he has a good day. He is strong and as a typical all-action defensive player, he runs a lot, passes the ball and scores every once in a while. He has 42 shots in 26 games.

Prediction: Chelsea 2, Tottenham 1

I expect a tough game, which will start slow.  Neither team has the advantage of playing at home.

Chelsea and Tottenham have both won two and drawn four of the last eight meetings between the two sides in the Premier League. The last game between them was on March 24.

The game was not fun to watch, but was very tactical.

The semifinal is going to start off like that as well. It will break when the first goal falls. After that, it will be “all or nothing.”