Premier League team news and prediction: Tottenham vs Chelsea

Tottenham and Chelsea resume rivalries tonight when the pair clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The duo need a win in their respective quests to finish the top four in what should be a hotly contested encounter. 

Here we run through all the much-needed pre-match information, including where to watch the game, team news and probable XIs

When is kick off?  

Thursday 4th January, 20:00 GMT 

Where is the match?  

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London 

Where can I watch it?  

BT Sport 1

Form Guide 

Four of the five legaue games Tottenham have lost this season have come in their last eight matches. Indeed, Spurs' title push is dead in the water and they are now at risk of missing out on a Champions League spot. Harry Kane's ankle injury sustained in the 3-1 home defeat to Liverpool hasn't helped matters, but even so; the club have put in a number of underwhelming displays of late and that has increased the pressure on Jose Mourinho's shoulders ahead of the welcome of his former employers. 

Having overseen a 0-0 draw with Wolves on his first game in charge of Chelsea, a given considering he had worked with the team for the first time just 24 hours before the stalemate, Thomas Tuchel secured his first win following his appointment in a 2-0 win over Burnley on Sunday. Five of Chelsea's league defeats have come in their last 10 top-flight outings, the latest of which ultimately cost Frank Lampard his job. Four defeats in five on the road isn't great and Tuchel needs to correct their poor away form. The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium would be as good a place as any to start...  

Team News 

As previously mentioned, Harry Kane is out with an ankle injury, but Jose Mourinho believes the striker will be back for the FA Cup tie with Everton next week or, at the very least, the meeting with Manchester City. Another key man, Sergio Reguilon, also misses out, while Giovani Lo Celso and Dele Alli are sidelined. The latter had pushed for a January move to PSG, only for that to fall through, but Mourinho is prepared to welcome the midfielder back in from the cold in a bid to correct Spurs' form. 

Better news, too, is that Tanguy Ndombele is available for selection after the Frenchman was on the receiving end of a couple of rough challenges at Brighton that forced him off in the second half. After coming off the bench against Brighton, Carlos Vinicius and Erik Lamela may both come into the side, while Eric Dier and Matt Doherty could both return to the starting XI. 

N'Golo Kante was fit enough for the bench in the 2-0 win over Burnley at the weekend, which is a boost for Thomas Tuchel's midfield options. However, the Chelsea boss confirmed that Kurt Zouma and Kai Havertz were unable to finish training on Wednesday and the duo are both doubts for the trip to Tottenham. Other than that, though, Tuchel has a full squad to select from. 

The German could bring Olivier Giroud into the starting XI, but Ben Chilwell is set to miss out on a place in the side after Marcos Alonso's goalscoring return to the side on Sunday afternoon. 

Probable XIs 

Tottenham (343) - Lloris; Alderweireld, Dier, Rodon; Doherty, Hojbjerg, Ndombele, Davies; Lamela, Vinicius, Son

Chelsea (3421) - Mendy; Azpilicueta, Silva, Rudiger; Hudson-Odoi, Jorginho, Kovacic, Alonso; Mount, Werner; Giroud

Key Battle: Tanguy Ndombele vs Mason Mount

Tottenham fans were understandably worried at Tanguy Ndombele's availability for the welcome of Chelsea on tonight after he was forced off in the 1-0 defeat at Brighton, but Jose Mourinho has confirmed he is fit for selection and that is a huge boost for the north London side. The Frenchman was the man of the match in the reverse fixture after a superb showing from midfield and a repeat would certainly go down well with Spurs fans.

In the Chelsea camp, Mason Mount was a late sub in the 0-0 draw with Wolves in Thomas Tuchel's first game at the Stamford Bridge helm, yet returned to the XI for the 2-0 win over Burnley and he clearly had a positive impact as the Blues secured their first victory in the Tuchel era. Having made more key passes (54) than any other Chelsea player and as their best rated player with a WhoScored rating of 7.38, Mount will be key for the Blues as they seek to leapfrog Tottenham.

Score Prediction: Tottenham 1-2 Chelsea