Tottenham Clash with Chelsea: Bold Predictions and Starting XI Revealed

Tottenham Hotspur will welcome what promises to be an intense London derby this Saturday evening, as Chelsea travel the short distance to N17.

The Blues have thrived at Spurs' stunning new stadium, netting four goals in each of their last two encounters there. They've controlled the head-to-head battle with their London counterparts since the Premier League began, making a victory for the home side potentially spark the Thomas Frank era.

The Danish manager has led his team to third place in the Premier League standings through their set-piece excellence, though they've disappointed in European competition and were eliminated from the Carabao Cup by Newcastle United on Wednesday evening. Chelsea, conversely, withstood a Wolverhampton Wanderers comeback at Molineux to progress to the quarterfinals.

Enzo Maresca's Blues have struggled with poor discipline early in the 2025–26 season, though they couldn't attribute their home loss to Sunderland last week to a red card, leaving them in ninth position ahead of Saturday's encounter.

Here is Sports Illustrated's preview of this London derby.

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Tottenham vs. Chelsea Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)

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Tottenham Team News

Frank has announced a triple fitness boost before Chelsea's arrival, with Cristian Romero, Destiny Udogie and Wilson Odobert all expected to rejoin his matchday roster on Saturday. Skipper Romero has been absent from the last four matches due to a groin problem.

The Argentine will return to the Spurs backline, and it wouldn't be shocking to see Frank adopt a three-man defense, considering Chelsea's difficulties against Sunderland last weekend. Kevin Danso might therefore keep his spot despite Romero's comeback.

Djed Spence could be preferred over Udogie on the left flank, with the Italian more likely to feature as a substitute.

James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, Kota Takai, Ben Davies, Radu Drăgușin, Archie Gray, Yves Bissouma and Dominic Solanke remain unavailable due to injuries.

Tottenham Predicted Lineup vs. Chelsea

Tottenham predicted lineup vs. Chelsea (3-4-1-2): Vicario; Danso, Romero, Van de Van; Porro, Palhinha, Bentancur, Spence; Simons; Kolo Muani, Kudus.

Chelsea Team News

Chelsea's casualty list isn't as lengthy as Tottenham's, but Maresca will be missing several important players this weekend, particularly Cole Palmer. The Blues' creative force dominated this matchup last season, but he won't return to action until after the November international break.

Levi Colwill faces a lengthy absence, while Dário Essugo and Benoît Badiashile are also injured. Liam Delap's red card on Wednesday evening rules him out of Saturday's clash.

Several of Maresca's preferred players either rested or came on as substitutes at Molineux and will return to the Italian's starting eleven in north London. Wesley Fofana might also find himself back in the defensive line, given the Blues' recent defensive struggles.

Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Tottenham

Chelsea predicted lineup vs. Tottenham (4-2-3-1): Sánchez; James, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella; Caicedo, Santos; Estêváo, Fernández, Neto; Pedro.

Tottenham vs. Chelsea Score Prediction

Spurs' returning players enhance their prospects of securing an elusive victory over their London adversaries, and Frank will certainly believe he can implement a strategy that neutralizes Chelsea's structured positional play.

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will be electric under the floodlights despite the midweek setback, though many will approach Saturday's match with cautious optimism given the Blues' historical dominance in this fixture.

While both sides excel at set pieces, this encounter has the makings of an end-to-end thriller. Spurs are displaying flashes of promise in open play, and the visitors will be motivated by their psychological advantage.

A draw might suit both parties.

Prediction: Tottenham 2–2 Chelsea