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Chelsea will play hosts to Tottenham Hotspur in a London derby at Stamford Bridge tonight.
Chelsea were at the top of the Premier League table at the start of December. But after a slew of disappointing results and lackluster performances, they find themselves embroiled in the race for a top four spot.
Thomas Tuchel's men will be looking to get back to winning ways. They have won just one of their last five Premier League matches. The Blues were held to a 1-1 draw by Brighton & Hove Albion in their latest outing.
The chasing pack have closed down the gap and while Tuchel has blamed the fixture pile-up, it shouldn't ideally affect a team with the squad depth that they have. Tottenham Hotspur have struggled against Chelsea in recent times but they have plenty of momentum right now.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five reasons why Chelsea will struggle against Tottenham Hotspur tonight.
#5 Chelsea's poor Premier League form
Chelsea haven't won any of their last five Premier League games. In fact, they have just two wins in their last nine league matches. Their poor run started after being held to a 1-1 draw by a shaken Manchester United who were going through the worst phase of their season.
Chelsea had become one of the most solid defensive units in Europe following Tuchel's arrival in January 2021. But that defensive solidity seems to have corroded. They have kept just one clean sheet in their last 11 Premier League matches.
Chelsea haven't really been a freescoring side under Tuchel. They have looked vulnerable defensively as well in recent times and those are not good signs for the Blues.
#4 Tottenham Hotspur's revival under Antonio Conte
Unlike Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur have enjoyed a period of revival over the past couple of months under Antonio Conte. The Italian manager has worked a bit of magic and steadied the Lilywhites' ship. Spurs are now undefeated in their last nine Premier League games.
They sit sixth in the Premier League table right now, behind Manchester United and West Ham United, who have 38 points and 37 points respectively. The Red Devils have played 22 matches while the Hammers have played 23. Spurs have only played 19 and have 36 points.
Chelsea are currently third with 44 points from 23 games. You can see how a loss tonight drops the Blues directly into the battle for a top four berth and so all the pressure has to be on them.
#3 Harry Kane is in good touch
This has been the worst start to a season for Harry Kane since he established himself as Tottenham Hotspur's first-choice striker. But the Englishman seems to be gradually regaining his touch. He was brilliant against Leicester City in Spurs' dramatic 3-2 win.
Kane scored Tottenham Hotspur's opener and then provided the assist for Steve Bergwijn's equalizer. He has looked sharp and has shown a lot of confidence with the ball at his feet. Lucas Moura is likely to partner Kane in attack in the absence of Son Heung-min.
Kane has now scored five goals and provided an assist in his last eight starts. While that's not great by his own lofty standards, it is evident that he is finally finding his groove again.
#2 Tuchel's 4-2-2-2 formation hasn't had the desired effect
Chelsea have suffered in the absence of Reece James and Ben Chilwell, who are both injured and unavailable. Their three-at-the-back system worked like a charm for such a long time that a formation change seemed to be out of question. But the latest injury blows have caused Tuchel to adopt a 4-2-2-2 formation.
But the change has not produced the desired effect. They did a good job against Spurs in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup but it hasn't really clicked elsewhere. The Blues have been too narrow and there has been no real thrust coming from the right flank in the absence of James.
Tuchel is likely to stick with the 4-2-2-2 formation tonight. But if things don't get drastically better, Spurs will give them a run for their money.
#1 Romelu Lukaku's form
It has all gone south as far as Romelu Lukaku's much hyped return to Chelsea is concerned. The Belgian international's interview with Sky Sports, where he publicly flirted with Inter Milan and undermined Chelsea, has predictably not gone down well with the Chelsea faithful.
To make matters worse, Lukaku has been in poor form in front of goal. He has not scored in his last four matches. Timo Werner is not a very reliable goalscorer either. Mason Mount's goals have dried up too and he hasn't scored in his last nine appearances.
Chelsea need to find a way to keep scoring consistently. For now, their attackers are mostly firing blanks and they have an uninspiring Lukaku leading the line. Despite all the success Chelsea have enjoyed over Tottenham Hotspur in recent times, this specific set of circumstances could finally become their undoing.
