Chelsea hosts Tottenham Hotspur today in one of the week 30 2011/2012 English Premier League fixtures. The tie could be a decisive battle for the Blues who are the only English club standing in the UEFA Champions League competition.
Last Wednesday’s demoralizing defeat in the hands of Manchester City, courtesy of Samir Nasri’s late goal, means the Blues would have to win this encounter to keep their hopes of qualification for the UEFA Champion League next season alive. The Wednesday defeat also ended Chelsea’s great run since the sacking of former coach, Andre Villa Boas.
Tottenham Hotspur which has spent much of the English Premier League season flying high in third place, and at one stage appeared potential title challengers, alongside Manchester United and Manchester City, have fallen behind North London rivals, Arsenal in the league standing and with just five points separating them and Chelsea, a win will be much needed for the Harry Redknapp’s side if they must finish in the top four at the end of the season.
A sequence of four league matches without a win has seen Tottenham slip back to fourth, outside the automatic Champions League qualification berth.
In spite of the Wednesday defeat at Manchester City, Chelsea is enjoying an upturn in their fortunes after they sent packing former coach, Andre Villas-Boas. Caretaker manager, Roberto Di Matteo guided the team into the quarter-finals of the Champions League and the last four of the FA Cup, while also bagging a league win over Stoke City.
His team led 1-0 away to second-placed Manchester City on Wednesday, only to concede twice in the final moments and walk away empty-handed following a 2-1 defeat. Di Matteo has a chance this weekend to prove his tactical prowess by closing the gap on Spurs to just two points with a win at Stamford Bridge.