Chelsea vs Tottenham prediction: How will Carabao Cup semi-final play out tonight?

01/05/2022

Tottenham defender Eric Dier, right returned from a dead leg against Chelsea (Tim Goode/PA)

Tottenham visit Chelsea in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final hoping to capitalise on a period of uncertainty at Stamford Bridge.

With summer recruit Romelu Lukaku unsettling the club with his recent interview and a poor run building pressure on Thomas Tuchel, Antonio Conte will take his side across London hoping to pounce on any vulnerabilities within his former club.

The Italian has made a strong start to life in north London despite some early hiccups, but Spurs have not won a major trophy since 2008 (when they beat Chelsea in the final of this competition), and takes on a side full of serial winners.

Having seen their title challenge dealt significant, and perhaps fatal, blows in the last few weeks, Chelsea will hope to set up a meeting with either Arsenal or Liverpool.

Here’s everything you need to know about the game:

When is it?

The match will kick off at 7.45pm on Wednesday 5 January at Stamford Bridge.

The Belgian has apologised and will be back, but may start initially from the bench, while Edouard Mendy is definitely unavailable having departed for the African Cup of Nations. Trevoh Chalobah’s hamstring issue will be assessed having played 70 minutes of that Liverpool encounter, while Thiago Silva’s legs may be given more time to recover after he made his return.

Cristian Romero remains out for Spurs but should be back in action soon, while the unfortunate Ryan Sessegnon is well-acquainted with the Tottenham treatment table and a thigh issue seems set to rule him out.

Steven Bergwijn has been linked with a move away from the club in January and is also troubled by a recent injury, which could mean an opportunity for Bryan Gil, though with Morecambe reasonably lowly weekend FA Cup opposition, Antonio Conte may stick with something close to his strongest side.

Predicted line-ups

Chelsea: Kepa; Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Sarr; Hudson-Odoi, Jorginho, Kovacic, Alonso; Ziyech, Pulisic; Havertz

Tottenham: Lloris; Sanchez, Dier, Davies; Emerson Royal, Skipp, Hojbjerg, Reguilon; Son, Kane, Moura

Odds

Chelsea – 42/41

Draw – 27/10

Tottenham – 29/10

Chelsea vs Tottenham prediction: How will Carabao Cup semi-final play out tonight?

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