Chelsea vs Tottenham - LIVE!

Chelsea inflicted further misery on Tottenham with a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge, as Nicolas Jackson was once struck against Spurs. The Blues forward scored a hat-trick in the reverse fixture and he was on target here too, heading home to double in the lead after Trevoh Chalobah had put the hosts in front in the first-half.

Spurs have now lost back-to-back London derbies in the space of a few days and it is three defeats on the bounce, dealing a potentially decisive blow to their hopes of securing Champions League football next season.

Ange Postecoglou’s side trail Aston Villa by seven points, and while they do have a game in hand, Spurs next face Liverpool at Anfield and there is still a clash with Manchester City to come. Chelsea, meanwhile, sit eighth in the Premier League table, but only three points off Manchester United in sixth.

Chelsea vs Tottenham latest news

• GOAL! Jackson header makes it 2-0

• GOAL! Chalobah gives Chelsea first-half lead

Tottenham ratings

21:58 , Matt Verri

Brennan Johnson 4

Consistently failed to beat his man, be it Marc Cucurella or Alfie Gilchrist, and his final ball was mixed. Missed a huge chance to pull a goal back shortly at 2-0.

Heung-min Son 4

Struggled to make an impression from the left or when he moved to centre-forward. Looks tired and short of confidence.

Richarlison 4

Offered little goal threat on his first start since mid-February and was largely a passenger.

Click here to read those in full

More defensive problems

21:40 , Matt Verri

Obvious problems at set-pieces, but Tottenham continue to look shaky in open-play as well.

Chelsea ratings

21:35 , Matt Verri

Alfie Gilchrist - 7

The least experienced player on the pitch dealt with the most experienced player in Heung-min Son.

Trevoh Chalobah - 7

Produced a towering header to open the scoring and a goal saving block.

Benoit Badiashile - 7

The Frenchman is showing signs of improvement and impressed again.

Read those in full here!

FT: Chelsea 2-0 Tottenham

21:29 , Matt Verri

Great night fro Chelsea!

Goals from Chalobah and Jackson, they are only three points off sixth now.

Tottenham... three defeats on the bounce, and beaten by their two biggest rivals in the space of a few days.

Chelsea 2-0 Tottenham

21:26 , Matt Verri

90+4 mins: Tauriainen is on for Chelsea, makes his debut after replacing Jackson.

Chelsea 2-0 Tottenham

21:25 , Matt Verri

90+3 mins: Shots are flying in from Spurs, but flying everywhere other than the goal.

Maddison has plenty of space just outside the area, terrible effort. 20 rows back.

Chelsea 2-0 Tottenham

21:23 , Matt Verri

90+2 mins: Big chance for Chelsea to break, Palmer is completely free on the right. Jackson takes too long to do anything and Spurs win it back.

Bentancur then should probably make it 2-1, but his tame effort dribbles wide.

Chelsea 2-0 Tottenham

21:22 , Matt Verri

90 mins: Gil’s cut back finds Bentancur, strolls into the six-yard box but it’s a heavy touch. Gallagher slides in, knocks the ball behind for a corner.

Taken short, Lo Celso’s shot blocked. Maddison then wins another corner.

Six minutes added on.

Chelsea 2-0 Tottenham

21:19 , Matt Verri

87 mins: Vicario tips a Palmer free-kick over the bar. Spurs with another corner to defend, just what they love.

Chelsea just trying to keep it in the corner though, and Caicedo’s pass rolls straight out of play.

Nizaar Kinsella at Stamford Bridge

21:17 , Matt Verri

Alfie Gilchrist is coming off. He is fatigued. Josh Acheampong on to make his Chelsea debut.

A huge moment for the 17-year-old.

Chelsea 2-0 Tottenham

21:17 , Matt Verri

85 mins: Acheampong on for Gilchrist for the closing stages.

Another Spurs change too, their final one. Lo Celso on for Emerson. There is the kitchen sink.

Chelsea 2-0 Tottenham

21:15 , Matt Verri

83 mins: Spurs haven’t responded at all to going 2-0 now. Looked dangerous before - doing nothing at the moment.

As it stands, Chelsea are easing to a pretty comfortable derby win.

Chelsea 2-0 Tottenham

21:11 , Matt Verri

80 mins: Gil is on for Johnson.

Spurs having all of the ball now, Chelsea with everyone deep in their own half.

Still feel like they’ll get chances on the break, Spurs have been vulnerable all night.

Chelsea 2-0 Tottenham

21:09 , Matt Verri

77 mins: Chelsea let the ball bounce in the box, Romero goes down... play goes on.

Pulled back now, as the Spurs defender continues to hold his face. Clashed with Casadei.

Chelsea 2-0 Tottenham

21:06 , Matt Verri

74 mins: Chance for Spurs to respond immediately, but Johnson can’t make proper contact as he slides in at the break.

Here is a Chelsea change. It’s their most experienced bench option coming on, Casadei replacing Mudryk.

GOAL! Chelsea 2-0 Tottenham | Nicolas Jackson 72'

21:04 , Matt Verri

CHELSEA DOUBLE THEIR LEAD!

Sensational effort from Palmer, his free-kick smacks back off the bar and Jackson is there to head home the rebound.

Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham

21:03 , Matt Verri

71 mins: Chelsea have a bench full of youngsters - they have no first-team players to turn to. No sign Pochettino has any interest in turning to his subs yet.

Cucurella brought down by Kulusevski, free-kick in a great position for Chelsea. And for Palmer.

Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham

21:00 , Matt Verri

68 mins: Inches away.... but offside anyway.

Son slides the pass wide to Johnson, he rolls the ball across the face of goal and Emerson can’t quite make contact as he slides in.

Offside flag up though, Son was beyond the last man in the build-up.

Dan Kilpatrick at Stamford Bridge

20:59 , Matt Verri

After a triple sub it's all change for Spurs, who now have Maddison at No.10, Kulusevki right, Johnson left and Son through the middle.

They have been better since half-time but still barely threatened the Chelsea goal.

A big 25 minutes ahead for Postecoglou's side.

Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham

20:58 , Matt Verri

67 mins: Spurs corner, as Gilchrist blocks Johnson’s cross. Son now playing through the middle, with Kulusevski out to the right.

Maddison swings in the corner, Badiashile rises in his own six-yard box to clear.

Jackson leads the counter, until Van de Ven shoves him over. Yellow card.

Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham

20:57 , Matt Verri

65 mins: Some introduction from Hojbjerg.

He’s had three touches. One was a dreadful shot from 30 yards out. The next two are passes to perfectly pick out a Chelsea player.

Lucky they’re not playing roll-on, roll-off.

Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham

20:54 , Matt Verri

63 mins: Emerson tries his luck from 25 yards out, over the bar.

And here is a triple change from Postecoglou. He’s changing the entire midfield.

Richarlison, Sarr and Bissouma off. Maddison, Bentancur and Hojbjerg on.

Nizaar Kinsella at Stamford Bridge

20:53 , Matt Verri

There are chants for Cucurella at Stamford Bridge. He deserves it and what a redemption story after getting booed by fans last season.

He's playing very well with a high work load tonight. It's great to see fans reward his improved performances.

Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham

20:52 , Matt Verri

60 mins: More like it, as Palmer beats Emerson and skips into the box. Right-footed effort is blocked.

Chelsea certainly have the pace to keep threatening on the counter.

Madueke now into the box, Emerson is all over the place. Tries to find Palmer, but it’s intercepted.

Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham

20:50 , Matt Verri

59 mins: Cucurella with a brilliant block, as Johnson fires the ball across the face of goal. Richarlison was waiting.

It’s going to be a long 30 minutes for Chelsea if it stays like this. They’re camped in their own half.

Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham

20:48 , Matt Verri

56 mins: Spurs the ones forcing the pace, as you’d expect. Chelsea haven’t really got going since the break.

Son getting involved more and more on the left - Gilchrist starting to struggle a bit.

Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham

20:44 , Matt Verri

52 mins: Jackson rolls the ball to Madueke on the edge of the area, he plays it to his right where Palmer is free.

First-time effort, curls it miles over the bar. That was a real chance.

Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham

20:43 , Matt Verri

51 mins: Gilchrist too keen to close down Son, gives away a needless free-kick. Just outside the area.

Porro fires the ball into the middle, Chelsea do well to get it clear. Bissouma does even better to stop the counter.

Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham

20:41 , Matt Verri

50 mins: Dear me.

Gallagher presses right up the pitch, Romero plays an awful pass straight to Mudryk.

Just has to roll it into the middle, where Jackson is completely free. Instead dinks the ball straight to Vicario.

Nizaar Kinsella at Stamford Bridge

20:39 , Matt Verri

Spurs on the front foot after half-time. No doubt Ange Postecoglou has got into them.

They've peppered the Chelsea box with crosses and are playing with far more intensity, attacking their away end.

Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham

20:38 , Matt Verri

47 mins: Spurs look like a team that have just spent 15 minutes being screamed at.

Straight on the front foot, much more intensity already.

Kulusevski with an effort blocked, before Son wins a corner after going past Gilchrist on the outside.

Back underway!

20:36 , Matt Verri

Second-half is up and running in west London!

Nizaar Kinsella at Stamford Bridge

20:30 , Matt Verri

Chelsea much the better team, especially early on. What a header from Chalobah. Gallagher amazing.

But Spurs are sorting themselves out and improving. Some last ditch defending kept Chelsea ahead.

More set-piece troubles...

20:27 , Matt Verri

Spurs do have a problem at defending them, for all Postecoglou insists otherwise.

Chelsea’s defenders just waited at the back post and Chalobah took full advantage.

Dan Kilpatrick at Stamford Bridge

20:23 , Matt Verri

Even by Spurs' standards, that was a sloppy first half, which only marginally improved after Postecoglou went ballistic on the touchline.

Work to do for the visitors to avoid a damaging second consecutive derby defeat.

Chelsea have been bright and exploited Spurs' big weaknesses at set pieces.

HT: Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham

20:21 , Matt Verri

Chelsea deservedly in front at the break - Chalobah’s header has given them a narrow lead.

Tottenham have been really poor. Improved slightly in the final few minutes, but not good enough from the visitors.

Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham

20:18 , Matt Verri

45+2 mins: More like it from Spurs, as Johnson picks out Sarr with the cut-back. Great block from Chalobah to deflect the effort wide.

Short to Kulusevski, back to Porro. Mudryk flicks the dangerous ball in away to safety, as Son lined up a volley.

Nizaar Kinsella at Stamford Bridge

20:17 , Matt Verri

The least experienced player on the pitch, Alfie Gilchrist, has dealt with the most experienced player, Son Heung-min, surprisingly well.

I had thought that could be a dangerous mismatch but so far, so good from a Chelsea perspective.

Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham

20:16 , Matt Verri

45 mins: Four minutes added on.

Spurs have been really poor, as their manager has made clear on the touchline.

Chelsea will be frustrated it’s only a narrow lead.

Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham

20:14 , Matt Verri

43 mins: Johnson has been the best of Spurs’ front players. It’s a painfully low bar though.

He tries to beat Cucurella on the outside, has to settle for a corner. Six different wrestling matches going on.

Corner through to Bissouma, worked back to Porro. Cross in flies over everyone, goal-kick.

Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham

20:12 , Matt Verri

41 mins: Cucurella brought down out wide. Referee initially plays advantage, but Chelsea very much want the free-kick against this defence.

Taken short, Mudryk then blasts over from distance.

Bizarre decision not to whip that into the box.

Nizaar Kinsella at Stamford Bridge

20:11 , Matt Verri

Cristian Romeo goes close with a far post header from a set-piece. Chelsea looked vulnerable for a moment there in a very good first-half performance.

It's a reminder of what Tottenham's quality can do in any moment.

Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham

20:09 , Matt Verri

38 mins: Better spell for Tottenham, who have perhaps started to realise they are increasingly closing in what will be a very heated meeting with their manager at half-time. He’s got a fair few things to get off chest.

Free-kick Spurs, Porro clips it to the back post and Romero has to score! Up well but he heads wide.

Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham

20:06 , Matt Verri

35 mins: “You, stop passing f***ing backwards”.

Postecoglou has just spent about 30 seconds screaming at Sarr, Bissouma and Romero. He is furious.

Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham

20:03 , Matt Verri

32 mins: Sensational from Palmer, too good for Emerson and Bissouma.

Whips the pass out to Mudryk, who shifts onto his right foot and curls an effort inches wide of the top corner.

Dan Kilpatrick at Stamford Bridge

20:03 , Matt Verri

Postecoglou has, by my count, said four times since the Arsenal game that he does not think Spurs have a problem defending set pieces but he will inevitably face more questions on the issue after Chalobah's goal.

The manager was furious before the free-kick was awarded, possibly because his side were too often playing backwards.

Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham

20:02 , Matt Verri

31 mins: Spurs look rattled, Chelsea firmly on top. Likes of Son, Richarlison and Kulusevski have barely had a kick.

Been plenty of fouls from the visitors, who are a yard off the Blues right now.

Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham

19:59 , Matt Verri

28 mins: Postecoglou shaking his head on the touchline.

Might be VAR related, but must also be to do with the fact his side can’t stop conceding from set-pieces.

More questions for him to answer on that later...

Nizaar Kinsella at Stamford Bridge

19:57 , Matt Verri

Trevoh Chalobah scores a stunning header to give Chelsea the lead. It came from a good, deep Conor Gallagher free-kick.

What a goal, and two academy graduates make it.

It survives a VAR check for offside and a possible foul. It felt farcical how long it took.

GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham | Trevoh Chalobah 24'

19:55 , Matt Verri

BLUES IN FRONT!

Awful from Tottenham. Gallagher swings a free-kick to the back post, Chalobah completely free and he loops a header into the far corner.

Chelsea 0-0 Tottenham

19:54 , Matt Verri

23 mins: Chelsea definitely look the more likely to score.

Mudryk with a great ball out to Madueke, and he can drive at Emerson.

Cuts onto his left foot, works the space for the shot and flashes an effort over the bar.

Chelsea 0-0 Tottenham

19:52 , Matt Verri

21 mins: Mudryk skips away from Porro brilliantly, and he then bundles his way through the challenges.

Looks to have lost it twice, after taking too long to pass, but the ball keeps falling for him. In the box, swings a boot at it and Vicario can claim.

Chelsea 0-0 Tottenham

19:51 , Matt Verri

20 mins: Caicedo caught by Kulusevski, free-kick given and the Chelsea man looks to be in a fair bit of pain.

Holding his right ankle - Kulusevski stood on it as he closes the midfielder down.

Back up on his feet, is Caicedo, but not moving particularly well.

Nizaar Kinsella at Stamford Bridge

19:48 , Matt Verri

You can almost feel the anxiety when Tottenham are defending set-pieces. Vicario is not commanding his area well.

This is a very open game so far. Enjoyable and chaotic.

Chelsea 0-0 Tottenham

19:48 , Matt Verri

17 mins: That was inevitable.

Jackson away down the left, he is onside. Slides in Cucurella on the overlap, cut back rolls through to Gilchrist.

Running onto it, 20 yards out, crowd urging him to shoot... and it’s blasted high into the stands.

Chelsea 0-0 Tottenham

19:46 , Matt Verri

15 mins: Postecoglou seems to have little interest in set-pieces, but Spurs have done a bit of work.

Porro is on Madueke right in front of Vicario, pushing him away from the goalkeeper.

But Vicario still makes a mess of things, flying off his line and flapping as Richarlison flicks a header away.

Take two. Richarlison again up, Spurs survive.

Chelsea 0-0 Tottenham

19:45 , Matt Verri

13 mins: Palmer isn’t really playing as a No10 for Chelsea, if anything it’s Madueke drifting inside more.

Cucurella gets in behind, heavy first touch though and Van de Ven is across to concede the corner.

Here come Spurs’ latest attempt at defending set-pieces...

Nizaar Kinsella at Stamford Bridge

19:42 , Matt Verri

Mykhailo Mudryk has deservedly had a lot of criticism but looks determined to change the conversation today against Tottenham.

His energy has caused problems in the press and his one bit of quality has created a big chance.

Chelsea 0-0 Tottenham

19:41 , Matt Verri

10 mins: Spurs appeals for a penalty... waved away.

Emerson in behind in the box, Madueke has a bit of a pull and the full-back goes down very dramatically.

Referee not interested.

Chelsea 0-0 Tottenham

19:40 , Matt Verri

9 mins: Match is just starting to settle down a bit. Spurs seeing plenty of the ball, but that will suit Chelsea. Their chances are coming on the break.

Spurs attack with Porro down the right, poor ball into the middle though. Cleared.

Dan Kilpatrick at Stamford Bridge

19:38 , Matt Verri

Another demonstration there of how easy it is to quickly transition against Spurs at times.

Sarr lost the ball in midfield and quick as a flash Mudryk released Jackson.

Spurs were saved falling behind by van de Ven's recovery pace.

Chelsea 0-0 Tottenham

19:36 , Matt Verri

5 mins: OFF THE LINE!

Chelsea should be in front. Mudryk with the ball in behind, Jackson is clean through on goal.

Tries to slide it under Vicario, goalkeeper gets a big touch and Van de Ven gets back, clearing it off the line.

Falls to Palmer, turns it over from a few yards out. Basically just him him.

Chelsea 0-0 Tottenham

19:35 , Matt Verri

4 mins: Spurs try and play their way out at the back, Emerson can only flick a header straight out of play.

Cucurella returns the favour at the other end, shanked clearance. Scrappy opening few minutes.

Chelsea 0-0 Tottenham

19:33 , Matt Verri

2 mins: Frantic start as expected - nobody getting a second on the ball.

Gallagher getting stuck in immediately, clips Porro and that’s a free-kick. First chance for everyone to breathe.

KICK-OFF!

19:31 , Matt Verri

We’re up and running at Stamford Bridge!

Home fans make their opinion clear!

19:28 , Matt Verri

Conor Gallagher is Chelsea’s captain again tonight, but his future at the club is still in doubt.

Blues fans certainly want him to stay.

Nizaar Kinsella at Stamford Bridge

19:28 , Matt Verri

Captain Reece James in the matchday programme: "I've been working hard on my recovery and it's been an amazing feeling to rejoin the group for parts of our training sessions.

“It has been a long road back and there is still work for me to do before I'm fully match fit but I can't wait to be back on the pitch with the boys."

Here we go!

19:26 , Matt Verri

Teams are in the tunnel, kick-off just a few minutes away.

Tottenham have an absolutely awful record at Stamford Bridge - need to change that tonight or their season is really falling apart.

Pochettino wants Chelsea fight

19:21 , Matt Verri

On the eighth anniversary of the Battle of the Bridge, Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino will find himself back at the scene of his most unforgettable match but on the other side of one of English football’s bitterest divides.

The ferocity of Chelsea’s 2-2 draw against Pochettino’s Tottenham in 2016, when the hosts came from two goals down to earn a point which handed the title to Leicester, goes some way to explaining why he is still trying to win over the majority of Blues supporters.

As Dele Alli explained recently, for Pochettino’s Spurs the rivalry with Chelsea “became more personal” than their competition with Arsenal, and the Argentine’s part in stoking the flames has not been forgotten at Stamford Bridge — not that he has ever tried to deny it.

“You cannot compare nearly six years with 10 months,” Pochettino said yesterday, when asked if he feels more connected with his current club than Spurs.

Pochettino relished Tottenham’s passion in the Battle of the Bridge, never once coming close to suggesting they may have crossed a line, even after they received nine yellow cards and Mousa Dembele earned a retrospective six-match ban for eye-gouging Diego Costa.

“The way that we [Spurs] competed, it was really good,” Pochettino said yesterday.

Pochettino has always been happy to wear his heart on his sleeve and lean into the emotion of big derbies and he will try to channel the heat of tonight’s occasion into a positive result for his current club, who remain in the hunt for a European place.

Read more on that here!

Dan Kilpatrick at Stamford Bridge

19:17 , Matt Verri

Ange Postecoglou has changed his entire midfield tonight, suggesting he was not impressed with his side's control in the middle of the park against Arsenal on Sunday.

Dropping James Maddison is the big call and a brave one to make for such an important fixture.

Pressure on both sides!

19:15 , Matt Verri

A win over fierce rivals would really lift the mood in either camp.

The opposite, of course, is also true...

Injuries hurting the Blues...

19:09 , Matt Verri

That starting XI best deliver for Chelsea, or they are in trouble!

Chelsea need new leaders

19:01 , Matt Verri

Thiago Silva’s groin injury means he may have played his last game for Chelsea.

The Brazilian’s absence for tonight’s game against Tottenham leaves his side down to the bare bones at centre-back, but long-term, the bigger problem for Chelsea is how they will replace Silva’s leadership when the 39-year-old leaves at the end of the season.

Despite concerns about a lack of leaders in an inexperienced dressing room, Chelsea believe Ben Chilwell and Reece James can fill the void left by Silva. The pair have impressed club officials off the pitch, despite their injury problems.

Stand-in captain Conor Gallagher has stepped up well in their absence and showed his leadership qualities by resolving a penalty spat involving Noni Madueke and Nicolas Jackson last month. But his future remains uncertain beyond this summer.

Former caretaker manager Frank Lampard also identified Enzo Fernandez as a potential future leader.

Mauricio Pochettino says it is on him and his coaches to develop the personalities within dressing room, but Chelsea are sure new leaders will emerge.

Postecoglou reveals derby outlook

18:55 , Matt Verri

Ange Postecoglou has little interest in getting his players fired up for a London derby.

Arsenal on Sunday, Chelsea tonight... the Spurs boss does not view it as a special occasion.

“I’ve always tried to create a mindset where you shouldn’t feel more passionate about one fixture than another,” Postecoglou said.

“I don’t understand that and I don’t believe in it. I know what it means to the club and the supporters, absolutely, but I tell the players always to play as if it’s their last game of football.”

All very friendly...

18:50 , Matt Verri

A Battle of the Bridge repeat is looking unlikely.

Mauricio Pochettino and Ange Postecoglou can’t stop hugging each other at Stamford Bridge.

Game’s gone.

Do Spurs fans need to hold their nerve?

18:43 , Matt Verri

Losing at home to your biggest rivals will make any fanbase jittery, and murmurings of unease about Ange Postecoglou's tactics have increased among Tottenham supporters since Sunday's defeat to Arsenal.

Postecoglou remains hugely popular among match-going fans, who sang his name throughout the derby, but his high-risk, attacking football appears to be creating a divide between the true believers (evAngelists) and the sceptics (Angenostics) — at least on social media.

In a nutshell, the evangelists 'trust the process' and are convinced Postecoglou is in the early stages of an exciting project; but the Angenostics are not sure his brand of football can ever work in the Premier League and want the Australian to occasionally to be more pragmatic and adaptable.

It was entirely predictable that Postecoglou would hit a rocky patch of results and face calls to change his tactics, because the same thing has happened to every progressive manager who has tried to transform the style of a top club in the Premier League, from Arsenal's Mikel Arteta to Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp.

Read Dan Kilpatrick’s full column here!

Maddison dropped!

18:37 , Matt Verri

Big team news is that James Maddison is named on the bench for Tottenham, after a poor run of form.

Dejan Kulusevski starts at No10, while Richarlison leads the line. Emerson Royal, as expected, come in at left-back.

As for Chelsea, no surprises there. It is a very, very, very young bench.

Tottenham team news

18:33 , Matt Verri

Starting XI: Vicario, Porro, Romero, van de Ven, Emerson, Bissouma, Sarr, Johnson, Kulusevski, Son, Richarlison

Subs: Skipp, Hojbjerg, Dragusin, Maddison, Gil, Lo Celso, Bentancur, Austin, Moore

Chelsea team news

18:31 , Matt Verri

Starting XI: Petrovic; Gilchrist, Chalobah, Badiashile, Cucurella; Caicedo, Gallagher; Madueke, Palmer, Mudryk; Jackson

Subs: Bettinelli, Sturge, Acheampong, Dyer, Tauriainen, Castledine, Casadei, George, Deivid

Stand by!

18:27 , Matt Verri

All the team news from Stamford Bridge coming up in the next few minutes.

Chelsea, in particular, have very little choice when it comes to their side, as they battle a crazy injury list.

Gallagher must prove Euros point

18:22 , Matt Verri

Conor Gallagher has been handed an audition in the No6 role, as he bids to convince Chelsea of his worth and nail down a spot in the England team for the Euros.

The 24-year-old will again play in a deeper midfield position tonight - Mauricio Pochettino will start Gallagher alongside Moises Caicedo after Enzo Fernandez had surgery on a persistent groin injury.

That new double pivot has delivered improved performances for Chelsea. Gallagher and Caicedo worked well together at Aston Villa on Saturday, having previously been paired in the 6-0 win over Everton.

For Gallagher, the move from the No10 position to No6 has come at the perfect time.

He has been given a chance to show his abilities as Gareth Southgate weighs up a partner for Declan Rice at the base of the England midfield at the Euros this summer.

Read more on that here!

Last time they met...

18:14 , Matt Verri

It was eventful.

Spurs made a superb start, took the lead... and then had two men sent off and conceded four times.

The hosts played an increasingly ludicrous high line, even with nine men. Despite Spurs’ defence basically standing on the halfway line, it still took Chelsea a while to work out what to do.

Postecoglou confused by officiating

18:05 , Matt Verri

Tottenham remain in the dark over the current guidelines for obstructing goalkeepers in the box despite a request for clarification from PGMOL, according to Ange Postecoglou.

Guglielmo Vicario has struggled to deal with set plays at times during his first season in north London and Spurs were undone by two Arsenal crosses into the box during last weekend’s north London derby.

While Postecoglou has insisted he has no issues with Ben White’s antics to try and put Vicario off, he admitted his confusion at what is and isn’t deemed acceptable by Premier League officials.

“We seek clarification in case certain things have changed,” he told reporters.

“You never know. We just wanted some clarity on what the actual position is on interference on the goalkeeper.

“I’m ancient, mate, but I always thought that the goalkeeper was a bit of a protected species. Maybe that’s shifted now and I missed the memo.”

Postecoglou was asked if Spurs had received any clarity in their exchanges with PGMOL, to which he replied: “No, not really.”

Jackson: I miss too many chances

17:57 , Matt Verri

Nicolas Jackson has insisted the “goals will come”, as he admitted he has missed too many chances for Chelsea this season.

The 22-year-old has scored ten times in the Premier League in his first year in English football, but he has just one goal in his last eight matches across all competitions.

Jackson has faced criticism for his wastefulness in front of goal, particularly after the FA Cup last-four defeat to Manchester City when the forward missed several huge chances to fire Chelsea into the final, and he has reflected on a frustrating campaign on a collective and individual level.

“I think I should have scored more with the chances I missed,” Jackson told Sky Sports.

“Even if I scored 10 or 15, the most important thing is for the team to be as high as possible and make the fans happy. Then the goals will come.”

He added: “Trying to improve every day. The most important [thing] is being available for the team, helping the team and playing. I miss a lot but I’m trying to create more chances and score more. Hopefully next year it’s going to be better.”

Postecoglou: Spurs players not fully believing in tactics

17:49 , Matt Verri

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou has admitted that “the majority” of his players and staff are still not true believers in his attacking philosophy.

Spurs’ style of play and defending at set-pieces is under scrutiny ahead of tonight’s derby clash at Chelsea following defeats to Newcastle and rivals Arsenal in their last two outings.

Postecoglou is unlikely to make any concessions on style at Stamford Bridge -a 4-1 home defeat to Chelsea in the reverse fixture was arguably the best example of Postecoglou’s “non-negotiables” in action, as nine-man Spurs continued to defend on the halfway line and attack their rivals.

Asked if that performance had convinced him his demands were getting through to the squad, Postecoglou told Standard Sport: “That’s a fair reflection, but the question for me always is: are they doing it because I’m telling them to do it or are they doing it because they believe it?

“For it to truly evolve into something, it’s because the players believe it. And I’ve seen the players growing into it, but we’re not there yet.

“It’s great they’re listening to me, but it is challenging to play this way all the time. You can’t just dip your toe in, you’ve got to be all in. I’ve seen growth within the group for that, but they’ve still got a way to go.

“In my experience, the true belief comes when you’ve got the majority of the squad and staff [to a point] where if I didn’t turn up, they would still go about things in the same way. I don’t think we’re at the majority yet.”

Nkunku and Colwill closing in

17:42 , Matt Verri

Mauricio Pochettino has said that Christopher Nkunku and Levi Colwill are “on the line” in their respective injury recoveries.

The Argentine must deal with a 14-strong injury list for tonight’s derby and said he will give some “kids” a chance to play.

The Blues indicated this week, though, that Colwill and Nkunku are both back in “full training”.

Pochettino later explained why the pair are taking part fully at Cobham but can’t play in the London derby.

“They were training,” Pochettino told reporters on Wednesday. "Today, normally, we prepare the game for tomorrow. We did some set-pieces, tactical work, and meetings.

“They are nearly there. They are on the line, but they don’t cross the line. We hope they will cross the line for West Ham on Sunday.

“We hope. But still, we need to wait until tomorrow, Friday and Saturday to see if they can cope with the competition.”

On this day...

17:33 , Matt Verri

It’s the eighth year anniversary of the Battle of the Bridge!

Tottenham’s title hopes disappeared against Chelsea, and they went down swinging. And kicking. And stamping.

The Blues played their part too, on a truly chaotic night.

Mauricio Pochettino in the opposite dugout this time.

Standard Sport prediction

17:24 , Matt Verri

Spurs are threatening to spiral towards a miserable end to the season but few teams have defined the phrase ‘spiral’ like Chelsea in recent years.

Pochettino has enjoyed a relatively decent record in big home games, though.

Whichever way this one falls, two leaky defences mean there should be goals.

Chelsea to win, 3-2.

Tottenham team news

17:17 , Matt Verri

Two fresh injury blows have handed Ange Postecoglou a selection conundrum.

Ben Davies has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a calf injury picked up in Sunday's north London derby.

With Destiny Udogie also sidelined until late summer, Emerson Royal is likely to deputise at left-back for the crunch visit to Stamford Bridge.

Timo Werner will miss the rest of the campaign as well, with the hamstring injury which forced him off in the first half of the defeat to Arsenal.

Heung-min Son was ineffective through the middle against the Gunners so Richarlison could start for the first time since mid-February, with the South Korean star returning to the left flank.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg was a surprise starter against Arsenal but Postecoglou could recall Yves Bissouma and Pape Sarr after they were benched on Sunday, with Rodrigo Bentancur's spot at risk too.

Predicted Tottenham XI (4-3-3): Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Emerson; Bissouma, Sarr, Maddison; Kulusevski, Richarlison, Son

Chelsea team news

17:11 , Matt Verri

Both Thiago Silva and Axel Disasi have been added to Chelsea’s long injury list.

Disasi misses out for unspecified reasons, while Silva suffered a groin injury in the 2-2 draw at Aston Villa.

Levi Colwill and Christopher Nkunku are back in full training but Mauricio Pochettino has confirmed that the London derby against Spurs at Stamford Bridge will come too soon.

Reece James, Malo Gusto, Enzo Fernandez, Lesley Ugochukwu, Ben Chilwell, Romeo Lavia, Robert Sanchez and Wesley Fofana are all still out injured.

Pochettino has limited options and only nine senior outfield players to choose from.

Chelsea's only available midfield duo, Moises Caicedo and Conor Gallagher, will play as a double pivot, while Alfie Gilchrist will again start at right-back with Trevoh Chalobah and Benoit Badiashile in the centre of defence.

Predicted Chelsea XI (4-2-3-1): Petrovic; Gilchrist, Chalobah, Badiashile, Cucurella; Caicedo, Gallagher; Madueke, Palmer, Mudryk; Jackson

How to watch Chelsea vs Tottenham

17:04 , Matt Verri

TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, with coverage beginning at 7pm BST ahead of an 7.30pm kick-off.

Live stream: Subscribers can also catch the contest live online via the Sky Go app.

Live blog: You can follow all the action right here with us! Nizaar Kinsella, Dan Kilpatrick and Nick Purewal will be providing expert analysis at the ground.

Good evening!

16:58 , Matt Verri

Hello and welcome to Standard Sport’s LIVE coverage of Chelsea vs Tottenham!

It’s another huge London derby in the Premier League, both sides in need of points heading into the final weeks of the season.

This fixture rarely disappoints - chaos and drama normally guaranteed.

We’ll have all the latest updates, build-up and team news ahead of kick-off, which comes at 7:30pm BST from Stamford Bridge.