Chelsea vs. Tottenham Hotspur and Pick to Win
Date: Monday, May 2nd
Where: Stamford Bridge, London, England, United Kingdom
by Keith, Professional Soccer/Football Handicapper, Predictem
Match Odds: Chelsea 11/6, Tottenham Hotspur 5/3, Draw 77/29
Moneyline: Chelsea +183, Tottenham +166, Draw +266
Over/Under: 1.5 Goals
The cross-town rendition of a North London Derby could not come at a worse time for Tottenham Hotspur who are in desperate need for a win if they wish to contend for a English Premier League title. The Spurs sit 7 points behind the table-topping Leicester Foxes, which means Tottenham cannot afford to lose a game the rest of the way if they wish to have any chance of a miraculous league championship.
The defending champions, Chelsea have looked like anything except champions this season. The Blues have sacked their stalwart manager Jose Mourinho half-way through their 2015-16 campaign, as the Blues were mingling in the middle of the Premier League table. To date, the Blues have accrued just 47 points and sit in ninth and needless to say the Blues may be beleaguered to find themselves removed as the Kings of London after a season of tumult and disappointment. Chelsea still sports the same ensemble of superstars you saw in 2014, but they have failed to replicate their success. Hazard, Costa, Matic and Oscar are all on the pitch as a starting eleven, yet the Blues are losing routinely to teams like Everton and being dominated by Manchester City, the team they fought fiercely for last years English Premier League crown. The Blues have an opportunity to conclude their season with a memorable and signature win with a victory at home against Tottenham on Sunday. A win for Chelsea dashes Tottenhams English Premier League hopes in one foul swoop.
It may seem like ancient history, but there was a once a team you cannot go to Stamford Bridge and expect to make it out alive. The Blues were renowned for a home pitch advantage that none could solve, they were a riddle, a mystery and feared by all. That has changed but Chelsea can regain that mystique by sleighing a monster in Tottenham Hotspur that feature a crop of talented marksmen within their ranks. Most notably, English superstar Harry Kane who has scored at will all season long and found ways to terrorize opposing defenses. Chelseas defense seems all the more accommodating but the Spurs come in off a heinous defeat to Borrusia Dortmund in the Champions League. Chelsea may able to find success if they replicate the blueprint.
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Leicester has a very good chance to achieve a draw on Sunday against Manchester United, if they do, the Spurs will enter this game on Monday night fully aware that they will have to win to have any chance of staying alive in the title hunt. This added pressure will likely cause Tottenham to throw the kitchen sink at Chelsea and leave themselves vulnerable to Chelsea countermeasures. With this being said, Chelsea has a lot to prove and may enter this one with a chip on their shoulder as Stamford Bridge has often been regarded as sacred ground that has since been violated by many different perpetrators. Crushing the hopes of a title contender that comes from the most unlikely of football clubs achieves many feats for the typical North London juggernaut. Chelsea can re-establish their home pitch dominance, re-assert themselves as a top team in London and avenge an otherwise gut-wrenching season. We have yet to see Tottenham Hotspur in a true do-or-die scenario like we are going to witness on Monday. It remains a question how the Spurs will perform and given the fact they are going to hostile confines with a win-or-die situation likely staring them down, they are indeed a risky play.
Typically we would be academic and suggest a draw may be on the horizon, but the gravity of this match-up indicates otherwise. Both teams will be playing for the win and one time will get that result. With many overlooking Chelsea on their own pitch, this could be the perfect time for the Blues to steal a victory and dash the title hopes of Tottenham Hotspur. Chelsea is our call.
Chelsea Recent Form
L Everton 0-2
D West Ham United 2-2
W Aston Villa 4-0
L Swansea City 0-1
L Manchester City 0-3
Tottenham Hotspur Recent Form
L Borussia Dortmund 1-2 (Non-League)
W Bournemouth 3-0
D Liverpool 1-1
W Manchester United 3-0
W Stoke City
Keith’s Prediction for the Game: Chelsea +183