Chelsea suffered their fourth defeat of the Premier League season last weekend when they lost to Brentford and they could be staring at another loss because they are scheduled to take on Tottenham on Monday.
Spurs are the current league leaders and while the Blues are struggling to find their rhythm under Pochettino, Tottenham, under their new manager are yet to lose a match this season.
Chelsea did pick up a Carabao Cup win in midweek against Blackburn Rovers but that win will do very little to boost their confidence before taking on the table toppers. In the previous two decades, Chelsea have gone into this fixture as the favourites for the majority of the times but on Monday, they will be very lucky to even pick up a draw.
Tottenham are in the form of their lives and because this is their home game, the Lilywhites should come out all guns blazing. The Blues are currently 11th on the EPL table and if they can avoid a defeat this weekend, then it will be a job well done, a loss however, could push them to even the 16th spot.
Chelsea’s team news and injuries:
Chelsea’s injuries list is still long and for this high-intensity match, Pochettino will be without as many as eight players.
Benoit Badiashile played his first game of the season in midweek but the defender is not going to get a start against such an in-form Tottenham side, that’s for sure. Levi Colwill or Axel Disasi will come back into defence to partner Thiago Silva, depending on what happens with Reece James.
James played against Blackburn but his manager has made it clear that the right-back’s selection is not a guarantee because he’s just returned from an injury.
‘I don’t know,’ Pochettino has told the press. ‘We’ll see first of all if he is available and then if my decision is to play with him from the start.
‘He was okay after playing an hour against Blackburn. I think it was good for him to start the game and to feel him there again after a few months for the team, because he is our captain and he is a very important player. Now we need to assess him, if he’s ready or not to start on Monday.’
If James is not risked against Spurs then Malo Gusto is the one who should start on the right but we think Pochettino will feel much safer in using Axel Disasi in that role.
Enzo Fernandez and Gallagher played the full game in midweek and they are going to hold onto their places while Moises Caicedo is going to come into the starting XI.
Chelsea are hungry for wins but with so many injuries, their manager did not have the luxury to make too many rotations for the Blackburn game. Sterling, Nicolas Jackson and Cole Palmer all started in that 2-0 win and they will start on Monday as well.
Mykhailo Mudryk missed the Brentford game due to a minor muscle strain but there are hopes that the winger could be fit in time to face Tottenham. The injury is not serious so a late fitness test could make him available. However, we don’t think he is going to get a start because Raheem Sterling prefers to play out on the left.
Chelsea predicted line up vs Tottenham:
Predicted Starting XI(4-2-3-1): Sanchez; Thiago Silva, Disasi, Reece James, Cucurella; Enzo, Gallagher, Moises Caicedo; Sterling, Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson.
