London rivals Chelsea and Tottenham take a break from the Premier League title battle for another important clash, they meet at Wembley in the semi-finals of the FA Cup on Saturday. Chelsea have beaten Tottenham 2-1 at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League in November, but the Spurs got even with a 2-0 victory at White Hart Lane in January. There is a perfect balance in the record of the last six direct meetings between these sides, with two victories apiece and two draws.
Chelsea have been dropping points lately and that loosened their grip on the top spot of the Premier League table. They have lost two of their last four matches, at home against Crystal Palace and at Manchester United last weekend. Winning the FA Cup match against Tottenham could give them a much-needed confidence boost ahead of the Premier League season finale, but a defeat could see them sink in both competitions. Gary Cahill, Diego Costa, Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso are doubts through illness, while Thibaut Courtois will probably make way for Asmir Begovic between the sticks.
Tottenham have been in stellar form lately, at least in the Premier League. They have suffered the disappointment of getting knocked out of the Europa League by Belgian side Gent in February, but they have won their last seven Premier League matches, five of them with clean sheets. Last weekend they breezed past Bournemouth to record a second consecutive 4-0 victory in the Premier League. Danny Rose, Erik Lamela and Harry Winks remain injured and backup goalie Michel Vorm could also miss out.
Probable line-ups:
Chelsea: Begovic - Azpilicueta, Luiz, Cahill - Pedro, Matic, Kante, Alonso - Willian, Costa, Hazard
Tottenham: Lloris - Dier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen - Walker, Wayama, Dembele, Davies - Alli, Eriksen - Kane
My prediction: Tottenham to win 2-1.
Here are the odds for the match at Bet365:
Chelsea win - 2.70
Draw - 3.40
Tottenham win - 2.75
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