Credit: Imago

Cameron Smith

Sun 17 May 2026 12:40, UK

Tottenham Hotspur are looking to get back to winning ways in the Premier League, as they face London rivals Chelsea on Tuesday night.

Unbeaten in four matches, the Lilywhites’ survival chances have been given a huge boost in recent weeks.

However, Roberto De Zerbi’s side missed the chance to extend their gap to West Ham on Monday, with Leeds forcing a late equaliser in North London.

With two games to go, Spurs know that their destiny is in their own hands, with three points at Stamford Bridge a necessity.

Despite Chelsea’s stuttering form, Tottenham will have to be at their best to get a result against one of their arch-rivals.

James Maddison ready to be unleashed vs Chelsea

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

While he is not fully back up to speed, the Englishman provided impetus in the dying moments – something missed by Spurs after the injury to Xavi Simons.

Heading into the bout in West London, De Zerbi may see now as the time to throw Maddison in from the start – potentially playing around an hour as he gets back up to speed.

With this in mind, Rodrigo Bentancur drops to the bench on Tuesday, rounding off just the one 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 could also come too soon for Dominic Solanke, who may feature against Everton on the final day.

History not on Tottenham’s side at Stamford Bridge

Heading into Tuesday’s derby, Chelsea are the side with the history on their side.

Having beaten Spurs a total of 38 times in the Premier League, the Blues have secured more wins against the Lilywhites than any other side in the competition.

Alongside this, Tottenham have won just once in 35 away matches against Chelsea, when Dele Alli put on a show at Stamford Bridge in 2018.

Spurs fans will remember the heartbreak late in the 2015-16 season, with Chelsea blowing them out of the title race; now their top-flight safety is on the line.

Against a side who have not lost their final home match of the season since 2002, Tottenham are in need of a huge performance as they travel to face the Blues.