Chelsea vs Tottenham: Champions League at Stake for the Blues
by Tyler Doty
Champions League Race: Chelsea Can’t Afford to Fall Behind
After Nottingham’s win on Tuesday night and victories from Manchester City, Newcastle, and Aston Villa yesterday, Chelsea must win tonight. While our Chelsea vs. Tottenham prediction suggests that Maresca’s men should come away with all three points, this will certainly not be an easy match.
Currently in 6th place, Chelsea can leapfrog both Newcastle and Manchester City with a win tonight, pushing Aston Villa 4 points behind and Brighton’s Seagulls 5 points back. However, this lead is far from secure with 8 games to go, as there will still be 24 points left to play for after tonight’s London derby.
Chelsea’s goals: Champions League qualification and a Conference League victory.
With a tough end-of-season schedule ahead, facing direct rivals like Liverpool, Newcastle, Manchester United, and Nottingham Forest in the final four matches, Cole Palmer and the team would be wise to rack up points now to ensure a slightly less stressful finish to the season.
Still in the hunt for the Conference League, with a quarter-final clash against Legia Warsaw coming up, Chelsea’s two main goals are clear: to go all the way in the C4 and, most importantly, secure a spot in the Champions League next season. The Blues haven’t been in the competition since the 2022/23 season when they were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Real Madrid (4-0 on aggregate).
Tottenham’s Disappointing Season Nearing Its End?
As for today’s visitors, Tottenham’s season has been underwhelming. Currently sitting in 14th place, Spurs are failing to live up to expectations in the league, even though our Premier League prediction suggested that Ange Postecoglou’s squad had more than enough quality to qualify for Europe next year.
With players like Heung-min Son, Dominic Solanke, Cristian Romero, James Maddison, Pedro Porro, Dejan Kulusevski, and Yves Bissouma, Tottenham’s squad is more than capable on paper and should be competing at a higher level. But things just haven’t clicked, and their last hope lies in a strong run in the Europa League.
Still in the Conference League, Tottenham has qualified for the quarter-finals, where they’ll face Eintracht Frankfurt in the coming weeks. Winning this tournament would not only give Spurs a trophy but also secure a Champions League spot for next season.
However, winning the European cup won’t be easy, with tough competition from teams like Lazio, Manchester United, Lyon, and Athletic Bilbao still in the mix. But if they make the competition their main focus and the players finally hit their stride, the end of the season could turn out to be more exciting than expected!
