The English Premier League is headed into its second week, but already, a huge London derby awaits as the defending champions from Chelsea head to Tottenham on Sunday. Here’s a preview of the biggest game of the week.
What To Know About Chelsea
Chelsea were beaten 3-2 last week at home by Burnley and if they can take any positives away from that game, it’s that they got goals from Alvaro Morata and David Luiz while being down a man, then two. Morata was very good when he entered the game as a sub, and he should be in line for a start this week. But the negatives were many as captain Gary Cahill was sent off after 14 minutes, and then Cesc Fabregas was gone in the 81st minute, so they’ll miss this match. Chelsea doesn’t have much depth as it is, so it’ll be interesting to see how Antonio Conte lines up his team. Will he stick with his favored three at the back? This is a suddenly massive game for the defending champions, who have Pedro and Eden Hazard on the bench with injuries, along with Tiemoue Bakayoko.
What To Know About Tottenham
Spurs got goals from Dele Alli and Ben Davies to open up the campaign with a 2-0 win at Newcastle. Alli was also at the heart of the game’s most important moment as Jonjo Shelvey stomped on his ankle in the 48th minute to get sent off, and Alli opened up the scoring 13 minutes later. While Harry Kane led the Premier League in goals last season, Alli might be Tottenham’s most important player as the midfielder is known for his abilities outside of the box, but he can score when he gets in there. It was also a great game for Kyle Walker-Peters, who replaced the sold Kyle Walker (yes, that’s right) at right back. The 20-year-old was wonderful in his Premier League debut, and that is very encouraging for manager Mauricio Pochettino. For injuries, Danny Rose and Kyle Trippier look to be out for this game, as is Erik Lamela.
Outlook
Tottenham is the home favorite in this game at +110, while Chelsea is listed at +250 and a draw at +230. Chelsea has won five and drawn three of their last 10 meetings with Tottenham, who won last year’s home meeting, but lost out in the FA Cup. The x-factor in this game is that Tottenham now calls Wembley Stadium home as White Hart Lane won’t be used anymore, and a new stadium is being built. Tottenham has seven losses and a draw in their last nine games at Wembley, allowing 19 goals and conceding nine. That doesn’t bode well for Spurs in their temporary digs. A matchup to watch in this game will be Alli against Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante, who has been the best player in England for the last two seasons. Kante will be tasked with keeping a close eye on the 21-year-old Alli all over the pitch, and Alli has to be patient to find an opening against Chelsea’s midfield destroyer.
EPL Betting Pick: Tottenham
Get the latest betting lines on all of the EPL games for this weekend at Play Shangrila!
