December 8th 2024.
Jackson had the luxury of being rested during the midweek, but all eyes are now on him as he is expected to start this afternoon. Chelsea is determined to maintain their position at the top of the Premier League standings, especially with a huge London derby against Tottenham on the horizon.
The Blues have been in superb form lately, scoring a total of eight goals in their last two games. They are currently sitting comfortably in second place, just behind league leaders Liverpool. Enzo Maresca, the Chelsea coach, made seven changes to the lineup in their previous match against Southampton, and those changes paid off brilliantly with a 5-1 victory, with Christopher Nkunku among the goal scorers.
One player who was given a break during the midweek was Nicolas Jackson, but he is expected to make his return to the starting XI at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. This is a special ground for Jackson, as he scored a hat-trick there last season. Noni Madueke has been a key part of Maresca's attacking unit this season, but the coach publicly criticized him for taking his foot off the gas after scoring or assisting a goal. This led to him being dropped from the team last weekend.
Meanwhile, Levi Colwill was also rested during the midweek and is likely to return to the lineup today. However, Wesley Fofana and Reece James are still recovering from their injuries and are expected to be out for a few more weeks. This is a big blow for the Blues, especially with Fofana's absence leaving a gap in their defense.
In their previous match, Chelsea put on a dominant display, with Benoit Badiashile, Tosin Aarabioyo, and Axel Disasi all proving to be capable backups this season. Mykhailo Mudryk is the only player who is doubtful for today's match due to an illness.
On the other hand, Tottenham is still reeling from their midweek defeat against Bournemouth, which resulted in angry reactions from their away fans towards coach Ange Postecoglou. However, they will be boosted by the return of Dominic Solanke, who played the full 90 minutes after being absent due to illness.
Last season, Jackson scored a hat-trick against Tottenham in this fixture, and the Spurs will be hoping to have their star defender Cristian Romero back from injury. However, if he is not deemed fit, Archie Gray is expected to fill in alongside Radu Dragusin in the backline.
Predicted lineups for Tottenham and Chelsea have been making the rounds, with some key players expected to return for both teams. For Tottenham, Son Heung-min is likely to be back in the starting XI after being rested midweek, while Chelsea's predicted lineup includes big names such as Sanchez, Gusto, Sancho, and Jackson.
For those wondering where to catch the Tottenham vs Chelsea match, it will be broadcasted live on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event. Subscribers can also stream the match live on Sky Go and NOW TV. The highly anticipated match kicks off at 4:30pm on Sunday, December 8th.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
