Tottenham vs. Chelsea time, TV channel, stream, lineups, betting tip & pick for Carabao Cup semifinal

January 12, 2022 admin

Tottenham has it all to do as Spurs take on Chelsea in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semifinal with a two-goal deficit to make up.

A spot at Wembley is on the line, and the Blues hold a significant 2-0 advantage from the first-leg victory at Stamford Bridge. With away goals not a factor, Tottenham needs a two-goal victory to send the match to penalties, or a massive three-goal win to advance outright.

A goal from Kai Havertz plus a Ben Davies own-goal proved more than enough for Chelsea in the opening 90 minutes, which prompted Spurs boss Antonio Conte to claim Chelsea is currently the much better side. That paints Spurs as significant underdogs with the massive first-leg deficit.

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Tottenham will be buoyed by Chelsea’s squad unrest with injuries, COVID-19, and AFCON departures, but Tottenham has one major injury problem of its own that it needs to overcome. Here is all you need to know for the upcoming match to decide the first finalist for the 2021-22 EFL Cup.

How to watch Tottenham vs. Chelsea

Date: Wednesday, Jan. 12
Time: 2:45 p.m. ET
Streaming: ESPN+ (subscribers only)

The Wednesday EFL Cup semifinal second leg between Tottenham and Chelsea from London will be broadcast exclusively on ESPN’s streaming service, ESPN+.

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Tottenham vs. Chelsea projected lineups

Tottenham is a mostly healthy side, but there is one big injury absence that will affect their chances in this match. Attacking force Heung-min Son is out for a month with a muscular problem that he didn’t feel until the day after the first leg at Stamford Bridge. That’s a big blow to a Spurs side already down by two goals and lacking goalscoring prowess of late.

Steven Bergwijn is unlikely to play due to a calf injury, especially given the rumors surrounding his possible January exit. Eric Dier is a question mark due to a non-COVID related illness, and Cristian Romero could also make his return now that he’s back in training.

Tottenham projected starting lineup (3-5-2): Lloris – Dier, Sanchez, Davies – Emerson, Hojbjerg, Skipp, Winks, Reguilon – Lucas Moura, Kane.

Chelsea is lacking defensive options, but got good news that Cesar Azpilicueta‘s struggles were due to nothing more than cramps and he is available to continue on as Chelsea’s captain. Thiago Silva has tested positive for COVID-19 and it’s unclear whether he will pass protocols to be fit for the match, leaving Malang Sarr possibly back in the lineup.

N’Golo Kante also tested positive, and he too is a question mark for the match. Reece James and Ben Chilwell are out with their long-term injuries, while Trevoh Chalobah is also a miss with a hamstring strain. Edouard Mendy is on AFCON 2022 duty (and also tested positive for COVID-19 while with Senegal), so Kepa Arrizabalaga is the man in net for the forseeable future.

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Chelsea projected starting lineup (3-4-3): Kepa – Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Sarr – Ziyech, Jorginho, Kovacic, Alonso – Mount, Havertz, Lukaku.

Tottenham vs. Chelsea betting pick & prediction

Odds courtesy of DraftKings

Second-leg matchups like this where the better team already holds a solid advantage can be difficult to predict. For that reason this is probably one to steer away from, but those inclined to wager on this match might want to keep it simple.

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As Antonio Conte admitted after the first leg, Chelsea is quite simply the better team. The Blues may keep things cagey and play conservatively given their lead, but Spurs should do better in front of net than last time out. That tactical set-up is a reason to back Chelsea and the under in this match, given that the Blues already hold a solid lead and the misfiring Spurs are likely to hold a lot of possession as a result. There’s a parlay available that also allows for a draw at plus money.

Pick: Double Chance parlay – Draw or Chelsea & under 2.5 goals (+110)

Prediction: Tottenham 1-1 Chelsea