9/29/20, 19:45 PM Kick-Off
2020/21 EFL Cup Fourth Round
By: Fasika Zelealem
Due to multiple positive COVID-19 tests amongst the Leyton Orient squad, Tottenham Hotspur were awarded with a bye to progress to the fourth round of the EFL Cup to host Chelsea.
While Tottenham v Chelsea is a mouth-watering tie for a number of reasons, you can only feel sorry for Leyton Orient on not being given the chance to play a Premier League side like Tottenham and potentially going on to face Chelsea as well as the financial implications would have been huge.
Nevertheless, we get to witness an exciting tie between two rivals in need of a win and a trophy in the grand scheme of things.
Jose Mourinho, one of the greatest winners in all of sport was brought to Tottenham to bring exactly that; winning.
Frank Lampard, Mourinho’s former player and one of the greatest talents England has ever produced failed in the FA Cup final last year and after spending £250 million this summer, is under pressure to deliver success to his new-look Chelsea squad.
Can Chelsea Perform Under the Added Pressure
They’ve more or less had a poor start to the season, following up their 3-1 opening day win against Brighton & Hove Albion with a loss against champions Liverpool and scraping a point against West Bromwich Albion in a 3-3 draw after being down 3-0 before half-time.
Tottenham are level on points with Chelsea after three weeks of the season but are unlucky not to be two points ahead after Newcastle striker Callum Wilson’s 97th minute penalty claimed a point against Mourinho’s men in a 1-1 draw.
With Son Heung-min’s hamstring injury, Mourinho believes Tottenham will be forced to sacrifice the Carabao Cup due to his piling fixture schedule.
“What would you do in my position? I would like to fight for the Carabao, but I don’t think I can. We have a game on Thursday that gives us not as much money as the Champions League, but the group phase of the Europa League gives us a certain amount that for a club like us is very important.
“It’s a competition with a possible group phase that gives us a good chance to go through to the next knockout stage, so this game on Thursday is very important for us.
“Chelsea played Saturday, they have Sunday and Monday then they play Tuesday and then they play again on the weekend.
“So [with] their fantastic squad, if the manager decides not to rotate, he can perfectly play with the players that he wants. As you know, and forgetting the past Thursday, we played on the Sunday, now we play on the Tuesday, we play on the Thursday, we play on the Sunday [against Manchester United] again.”
Chelsea Betting Prediction Against Tottenham
Tottenham will no doubt rotate heavily and with Chelsea’s impressive squad depth, I have Chelsea progressing to the next round with a 2-0 victory.
Sportsbooks’ odds on a Tottenham home win open at +350. Odds on Chelsea winning at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium open at -143. Odds on a tie at full time between the two clubs open at +320.
