When the two face off on Saturday afternoon at Wembley, Chelsea will be looking to move on to the final stage of the FA Cup, a feat they last achieved in 2012 when they took home the trophy. Tottenham on the other hand have not progressed to the final stage of the competition since they beat Nottingham forest to the Cup in 1991.
This weekend, the Premier League top two clubs will come head to head in a game that could have a big impact on both the league and the cup.
The two teams houses eleven players of the PFA team of the year and considering this, the match would no doubt be exciting. Here we take a look at three key battles that would determine the outcome of the game.
Harry Kane vs David Luiz
Tottenham’s top goalscorer will be posing a threat to Chelsea back line, with the Blues conceding lots of goals in their past matches. With David Luiz’s poor display at Old Trafford last weekend, it could be a tough nut to crack.
They are both strong in the air and will have no qualms in getting physical. Kane hasn’t picked up any goal against Chelsea this season and will want to try his luck again after seeing how easily his England teammate Marcus Rashford wreaked havoc on them last weekend.
With Heung Min Son and Christian Eriksen providing back up and keeping Cesar Azpilicueta and Gary Cahill at bay, this would be a battle in which Luiz cannot afford to be sloppy.
Dele Alli vs N’Golo Kante
Dele Alli, who scored the two goals that put a stop to Chelsea’s unbeaten run this season, will give N’Golo Kante a tough time on the pitch.
The Frenchman is exceptional in applying pressure and not giving midfielders any opportunity to set up their teammates, this will be to his advantage given Alli’s ease of finding the net.
However, it would limit Kante’s movement, reducing his impact in the game.
Dele Alli made no significant contribution in Tottenham’s defeat of Bournemouth last weekend, and Chelsea will be hoping he has another show of mediocrity yet again this weekend.
Eden Hazard vs Kyle Walker and Toby Alderweireld
Without exaggerating, taming Eden Hazard is more than what one man can handle. While at times he will sprint down the wing and then cut back inside, at other occasions he will be more menacing drifting inside and exploiting spaces created by Diego Costa.
Walker and Alderweireld are definitely the best option Tottenham has for defense, but both will have to work extremely hard if they hope to keep the Belgian in his place and stop Chelsea from gaining more point on Saturday.