Chelsea vs Tottenham predictions: Home win can further boost Blues' top-four bid
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- Chelsea sit fourth heading into the midweek action
- Spurs are set for their first bottom-half finish since 2008
- Recommended bet: Chelsea to win to nil
Chelsea can boost their hopes of finishing in the Premier League's top four by securing all three points at home against Tottenham in Thursday's London derby.
Going into the midweek top-flight fixtures, the Blues are fourth, but Manchester City, Newcastle and Brighton are all in pursuit as the race for the Champions League places hots up.
Spurs, however, are way off the pace and are set to finish in the bottom half after a disappointing campaign.
Team news
Chelsea trio Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke and Nicolas Jackson all returned to training during the international break in a major boost for head coach Enzo Maresca but it is unlikely all three will start on Thursday.
Marc Guiu and Mykhaylo Mudryk, however, are both still unavailable for the hosts.
Tottenham quartet Dejan Kulusevski, Radu Dragusin, Kevin Danso and Richarlison are all ruled out but Lucas Bergvall should be back after a recent illness.
The stats
Chelsea's four-game winning streak in all competitions was ended in their last outing by Arsenal when they slipped to a 1-0 defeat at the Emirates.
The Blues are unbeaten in their last seven home matches in all competitions, though, winning six.
Chelsea have scored in the second half in all of their last seven home games.
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Tottenham have won just one of their last five games in all competitions.
Only five teams have picked up fewer points away from home in the Premier League this season than Spurs, who have managed just 16.
Chelsea have won the last three meetings between the London rivals, including earlier this season 4-3 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Prediction
Chelsea and Tottenham have had an 18-day break but return to action on Thursday for a big London derby at Stamford Bridge where the hosts will be aiming for victory to stay firmly in contention for a top-four league finish.
Chelsea's campaign under Maresca has gone better than plenty of people imagined and, with potential UEFA Conference League glory to come too, this could yet be a memorable season for the Italian and his charges.
Finishing fourth looks completely doable when you consider Manchester City's inconsistencies this term, while there is the nagging doubt that Brighton and Newcastle are both not quite at the level to make the Champions League places.
That gives the Blues' expensively-assembled squad the chance to take advantage and they can underline their quality with a comfortable victory without conceding against their London rivals.
Spurs have had an arduous campaign under Ange Postecoglou, as an infuriating inability to turn some dominant performances into wins, aligned with some woeful displays, has left them floundering down in the bottom half.
Injuries have certainly not helped, but this is still a squad that should be doing much better. European qualification now looks way beyond them and the visitors appear set to fall to another lacklustre defeat.
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