Credit: Tung Manh Phan

Cameron Smith

Mon 18 May 2026 20:00, UK

Chelsea welcome Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday for a clash that could define the battle at the bottom of the Premier League.

Roberto De Zerbi’s side go into the final two games knowing that their destiny is under their own control.

However, they must be at their best in West London, having won just one of their last 35 outings away at Chelsea.

It has been a dismal season for Spurs, but the reaction under De Zerbi has been strong.

Now, they are in desperate need of a points haul in their final two matches.

Form guide

Hosts Chelsea have continued to stutter in 2026.

Following the sacking of Liam Rosenior last month, the Blues have picked up just one point in the league, before they fell to defeat against Manchester City in the FA Cup final on Saturday.

Having finally picked up their first win of 2026 against Wolves in April, Spurs are now on a roll away from home, with the win at Molineux followed up by a triumph against Aston Villa.

The North Londoners did drop points last Monday, though, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin rescuing a late point for Leeds.

Chelsea (last six games all competitions): LDLWLL

Tottenham (last six games all competitions): DWWDLL

Team news and predicted lineups

Having returned to the squad last month, midfielder James Maddison made his first appearance in the 1-1 draw with Leeds.

Although he is not yet fully up to speed, Maddison provided a spark for Tottenham in the closing stages – something Spurs have lacked since Xavi Simons picked up his injury.

Heading into the clash in West London, De Zerbi may now view this as the right moment to hand Maddison a start, with the midfielder potentially playing around an hour as he continues to build his fitness.

With that in mind, Rodrigo Bentancur is likely to drop to the bench on Tuesday, accounting for the only expected change.

On the injury front, De Zerbi remains without Dejan Kulusevski, Mohammed Kudus, Wilson Odobert, Cristian Romero, Guglielmo Vicario and the aforementioned Simons.

Tuesday’s match may also come too soon for Dominic Solanke, who could instead feature against Everton on the final day.

For interim Chelsea boss Callum McFarlane, he remains without Estevao and Jamie Gittens out wide, while youngster Jesse Derry joined the widemen on the sidelines.

Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho could both start out wide, with the pair returning to the squad in recent days.

Predicted Chelsea lineup: Jorgensen; James, Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella; Fernandez, Caicedo; Neto, Palmer, Garnacho; Joao Pedro

Predicted Tottenham lineup: Kinsky; Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Udogie; Gallagher, Palhinha, Maddison; Kolo Muani, Richarlison, Tel

We say: Chelsea 1-2 Tottenham

Extending their recent run to three consecutive away wins, Spurs have the chance to ensure they remain the side in control of the relegation battle heading into the final day of the campaign.

Alongside this, De Zerbi would be making history with a win at Stamford Bridge, a feat that has proved elusive for many managers in the past.