The two table toppers in the Premier League come head to head when Chelsea takes on Tottenham in the FA cup semi-final at Wembley on Saturday.
Both teams are in with a chance of achieving a domestic double this season as they battle it out at the top of the Premier League as well as in the FA cup competition.
Antonio Conte’s Blues currently have the edge over Tottenham in the Premier League, but Spurs will hope to break their confidence by imposing a second defeat in a row upon The Blues.
Both Chelsea and Tottenham have tasted victory against each other this season; a 2-1 win for Chelsea at Stamford Bridge before Tottenham’s 2-0 triumph over The Blues at White Hart Lane. Chelsea appeared to be running away with the Premier League title a month, but Tottenham have capitalised on a recent stumble by The Blues to close their once ten-point gap down to four and as a result have given them a chance to win the Premier League tournament which seemed to be race of only one team.
Chelsea takes on Tottenham in a blockbuster FA Cup Semi Final !
Tottenham qualified for the semi-finals with a 6-0 win over Millwall in the previous round while Chelsea had to see of Manchester United with a 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea will be under some pressure when they take on Spurs in the semi-final at Wembley as they have lost two out of their last five league games which has cut short their lead at the top of the table while Tottenham are on a dream run as they have seven Premier League wins on the trot. Chelsea will have one clear advantage over their London rivals as the venue is Wembley.
Though the venue being neutral for both the teams, Chelsea will have an upper hand in the clash as Spurs have a very poor record at Wembley. Spurs have used this venue as their home ground in the Champions League this season but have underperformed as compared to their performances when they play at White Hart Lane. They have won only one out of their last eight games at Wembley.
The Blues have lost only one of their last five FA cup semi-final ties while Tottenham have lost each of their last six FA cup semi-final appearances. The last time this two sides met in this competition was in 2012 semi-final, with Chelsea running out 5-1 winners. In all competitions Spurs have won just two of the last 16 meetings with The Blues (D7 L7), they did win 2-0 in their last meeting of the Premier League in January.
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Chelsea lost their last match against Manchester United, they have not lost back to back matches since April 2016. Tottenham meanwhile have won their last eight games in all competitions, they have enjoyed such a long run only once in their history when they remained unbeaten for 13 games.
It promises to be a hugely competitive and entertaining match. Both Chelsea and Tottenham will be determined to win the tie. The FA cup may not be as big as the Premier League or the Champions League but it is still a major and very prestigious competition. The winner of this tie will surely have psychological edge ahead of the other team in the title race.
