Chelsea host Tottenham on Wednesday in the first leg of their EFL Cup semifinals at Stamford Bridge. Thursday’s other semifinal first leg between Arsenal and Liverpool has been postponed due to COVID-19 issues with the Reds. Both Chelsea and Tottenham are recent finalists in the competition, having made the final once in the last three seasons. Both teams lost to Manchester City in the final, as City have won it for the last four years. In 2015, Chelsea beat Tottenham in the final.
Here’s are storylines, how you can watch the match and more:
How to watch and odds
Date: Wednesday, Jan. 5 | Time: 2:45 p.m. ET
Location: Stamford Bridge — London, England
TV: None | Live stream: ESPN+
Odds: Chelsea -109; Draw +240; Spurs +325 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Storylines
Chelsea: Could we see Romelu Lukaku start a day after his public apology to the club? Manager Thomas Tuchel said it is time to move on, and what better way by playing your big-money signing as soon as possible to earn the trust back from the fans? This comes just days after not even including him in the squad for the big match against Liverpool. If Lukaku does play, expect him to be determined and energetic as he tries to get back on track after a promising start to the season.
Spurs: Tottenham were waiting the results of COVID tests to determine what players they may be without, but they already know that Ryan Sessengon, Steven Bergwijn and Cristiano Romero will all be out due to injury. This may be an opportunity for Gio Lo Celso to see more minutes in the middle after coming back from injury last weekend. The expectation is for the trio of Lucas, Heung-min Son and Harry Kane to start as Antonio Conte looks to beat his former club.
Prediction
Both teams create numerous chances, but all is left up to the second leg thanks to Harry Kane’s equalizer. Pick: Chelsea 1, Tottenham 1
