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Parsons Helps Ireland To Keep Qualification Hopes Alive With Win Over Italy

A strong defensive effort and two tries, including a fantastic second, helped Ireland in their push for a Rugby World Cup 2021 spot after a 15-7 win over Italy.

Ireland looked a much-improved side compared to their match against Spain last Monday and came away with a much-improved result to complement that.

Tries from Beibhinn Parsons and Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe put Adam Griggs’ side in the driver’s seat in the game and gives them a fighting chance next Saturday in the final round of games.

Parsons scored the first points of the game after 28 minutes when she got her side’s first try of the day after a maul was stopped short of the Italian line.

An Italian sin-bin gave Ireland a numerical advantage but Parsons made it seem as if there was a far bigger advantage on the hour mark when she danced through the defence, with her carry leading to a second try courtesy of Murphy Crowe.

Italy did have moments throughout the match where they threatened the Irish defence but it held up under pressure.

Ireland captain Ciara Griffin produced a superb last-ditch tackle to deny the hosts a try five minutes from the end of the first half.

Italy struggled mostly, however, failing to mount a sustained period of pressure consistently when the ball was in their hands.

Their one score of the match – a converted try – came when Irish full-back Eimear Considine sat in the bin following a poor tackle.

Beatrice Rigoni crossed the line for her side before seeing yellow for a deliberate knock-on while Michela Sillari added the extra points from the tee.

However, Ireland’s place-kicking on the day proved to be enough as Stacey Flood slotted a penalty over to restore the Irish lead following her earlier misses and put her second conversion between the posts to seal an important win for the girls in green.

Ireland will face Scotland in their final game of the qualifiers with a big score needed to qualify automatically if Italy beat Spain.

Ireland: Eimear Considine (UL Bohemians/Munster); Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (Railway Union/Munster), Eve Higgins (Railway Union/Leinster), Sene Naoupu (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Beibhinn Parsons (Ballinasloe/Blackrock College/Connacht); Stacey Flood (Railway Union/Leinster), Kathryn Dane (Old Belvedere/Ulster); Laura Feely (Blackrock College/Connacht), Cliodhna Moloney (Wasps/IQ Rugby), Linda Djougang  (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Nichola Fryday (Blackrock College/Connacht), Sam Monaghan (Wasps/IQ Rugby), Dorothy Wall (Blackrock College/Munster), Edel McMahon (Wasps/IQ Rugby), Ciara Griffin (UL Bohemians/Munster) (capt).

Replacements: Neve Jones (Malone/Ulster), Lindsay Peat (Railway Union/Leinster), Leah Lyons (Sale Sharks/IQ Rugby), Brittany Hogan (DCU/Old Belvedere/Ulster), Claire Molloy (Wasps/IQ Rugby), Emily Lane (Blackrock College/Munster), Enya Breen (UL Bohemians/Munster), Lauren Delany (Sale Sharks/IQ Rugby).

Italy: Vittoria Ostuni Minuzzi (Valsugana Rugby Padova); Manuela Furlan (Arredissima Villorba) (capt), Michela Sillari (Valsugana Rugby Padova), Beatrice Rigoni (Valsugana Rugby Padova), Maria Magatti (CUS Milano); Veronica Madia (Rugby Colorno), Sara Barattin (Arredissima Villorba); Gaia Maris (Valsugana Rugby Padova), Melissa Bettoni (Stade Rennais), Lucia Gai (Valsugana Rugby Padova), Valeria Fedrighi (Stade Toulousain), Giordana Duca (Valsugana Rugby Padova), Ilaria Arrighetti (Stade Rennais), Francesca Sgorbini (ASM Romagnat), Elisa Giordano (Valsugana Rugby Padova).

Replacements: Vittoria Vecchini (Valsugana Rugby Padova), Michela Merlo (Rugby Colorno), Sara Seye (Rugby Calvisano), Isabella Locatelli (Rugby Monza 1949), Giada Franco (Rugby Colorno), Sofia Stefan (Valsugana Rugby Padova), Alyssa D’Incá (Arredissima Villorba), Aura Muzzo (Arredissima Villorba).

Fulham v Leeds – Preview, Team News, Betting

Leeds United travel to Championship side Fulham’s stadium tomorrow for a tough EFL Cup Round Three clash

The match kicks off at 19:45 on Tuesday 21st September in Craven Cottage.

Fulham have made a clear plan to get promoted back to the Premier League this season. They are currently in second place on goal difference after eight games. One problem is that their recent form has dipped losing two of their last three games in the league.

They reached this stage in the cup after beating Birmingham City 2-0 at the end of August.

Leeds have yet to find their true form in the Premier League. So far, they have only managed three draws, including a recent 1-1 stalemate against Newcastle on Saturday.

They reached round three after beating Crewe Alexandra 3-0 at home a month ago.

These two sides played against each other in the Premier League last season, with Leeds remaining and Fulham getting relegated. The Whites won both of the entertaining fixtures by singular goals.

Predicted Starting Teams

Fulham

Formation

4-2-3-1

Starting 11

Rodak (GK), Robinson, Adarabioyo, Hector, Odoi, Seri, Onomah, Kebano, Reid, Wilson, Mitrovic

Injuries / Suspensions

Carvalho (Toe), Tete (Hamstring), Kongolo (Physical discomfort), Cairney (Knee)

Leeds United

Formation

4-1-4-1

Starting 11

Meslier (GK), Firpo, Ayling, Cooper, Shackleton, Phillips, James, Klich, Dallas, Roberts, Bamford

Injuries / Suspensions

Forshaw (Muscle injury), Llorente (Muscle injury), Harrison (Covid-19), Raphinha (Hip), Koch (Groin)

Betting

Fulham 13/8

Draw 23/10

Leeds United 8/5

 

Score Prediction

This will be a close game between a top-flight side in bad form and a Championship team in good form. Fulham’s home advantage could make the difference in the late stages of this match, especially when the Whites are missing a few of their starting players.

Expect this game to end 1-1 after 90 minutes with Fulham claiming the victory in extra time.

Dallas Cowboys @ Los Angeles Chargers – Key Battles, Preview & Predictions

Dallas Cowboys @ Los Angeles Chargers – Key Battles, Preview & Predictions

The 2nd game Sunday has Dak Prescott lead “America’s Team” into the ultra impressive SoFi Stadium to take on the Chargers. The ‘Boys are coming off a heartbreaking game in the league opener vs the defending SuperBowl Champions Tampa Bay Buccaneers where they somehow managed to snatch a defeat from the jaws of victory. While the performance was admirable, The Cowboys have been threatening to contend for far too long without delivering, so moral victories are worthless at this point. They play the Chargers, who themselves have long been a team who seem to be geared up to have a good go at challenging but without ever managing to do it. The hope is high that Justin Herbert is the guy to lead them to that next level and he is coming off an outstanding rookie campaign. They are looking to add a 2nd straight win to start the season after overcoming Washington last week.

 

Key Battles:

Ezekiel Elliott vs The shell of Ezekiel Elliott: While Dak Prescott had what was by far his most impressive showing in his Cowboys career, being asked to throw the ball 58 times is not sustainable over the course of a season if Dallas are to have any success. He needs Ezekiel Elliott, the old Ezekiel Elliott, back to strike fear into opposing defenses. We were all told he had trimmed down, and he does look in much better shape this year, but struggled to get anything going again last week. Granted Against that Tampa defensive front, there is no shame in that. But he really needs to step up this week.

Dan Quinn’s Defense vs Herbert and Co.: As a defensive co-ordinator in Seattle, Quinn oversaw one of the most fearsome secondary’s the NFL has ever seen in the Legion of Boom. This Cowboys secondary are a far cry from what he had at Seattle and are in need of real leadership if they are to even be a reliable unit. The Chargers will look to test them out as much as they can and if the Cowboys aren’t up to it, it could be another embarrassing night for Jerry Jones’ product.

Chargers Defense vs Dak’s All Stars: Equally on the other side of the ball, this Cowboys offense is absolutely loaded with weapons. While I mentioned having to pass the ball 58 times isn’t a recipe for consistent success, having a receiver corps boasting the likes of Cooper, Lamb and Gallop is a frightening prospect when they do go to the air. The Chargers are also without the experienced Chris Harris at corner and have their work cut out for them to keep Dak from firing bombs at will.

 

Boylesports Betting:

Moneyline: Dallas 11/8 Los Angeles 6/10
Over/Under: 54.5
Spread: Los Angeles -3

23/10 for both Herbert and Dak to throw for 300+ yards seems to be too good to be true. Prescott is also 11/1 to have 2 passing TD’s in each half. Given Mike McCarthy’s love of passing the ball, that’s excellent value.

I’d lean heavily on there being more than 55 points here too.

 

VERDICT:

Both these teams are in the ‘I’ll believe it when I see it’ bracket as far as I’m concerned. I don’t have a lot of trust in either. I have long been a doubter of Dak Prescott’s ability to elevate the Cowboys, and while the Buccs game was his best by a country mile, I need to see him do that more consistently before I change my tune. Chargers flatter to deceive nearly every year too, especially with their inability to stay clear of crippling injury issues. This is really a toss up. I’ll take the Cowboys to do what they do best and find a way to lose. Chargers by 4

San Francisco 49ers @ Philadelphia Eagles – Key Battles, Preview & Predictions

2021 NFL SUNDAY LIVE SKY SPORTS GAME – Key Battles, Preview & Predictions 

WEEK 2: 6:00pm: San Francisco 49ers @ Philadelphia Eagles

We had a predictably unpredictable week 1 in the NFL last weekend now we roll on to week 2. The 6pm game live on Sky Sports this Sunday sees the San Francisco 49ers travel to the Philadelphia Eagles, with both aiming at starting out the season at 2-0. The 49ers had a late scare after taking a convincing lead against the Detroit Lions last week and Kyle Shanahan will hope for a more complete performance this time out. No such drama for the Eagles who took care of a poor Atlanta Falcons effort with ease.

Key Battles:

Eagles Defensive Line vs Niners Offensive Line: The 49ers Offense have made their living out of getting top production out of a stable of almost random running backs. Along side Shanahan’s creative genius, another big reason for this is the platform their Offensive Line provides them. They face an experienced and talented Eagles Defensive line who won’t be in any mood to take a backwards step. This could be a really enjoyable battle for those who love some good old fashioned trench warfare.

The Turnover Battle: I think this will will feature in my game previews quite regularly over the course of the season, for obvious reasons. Turnovers can win/lose you games and can provide massive momentum shifts when needed. While Philly played a relatively mistake-free game in week 1, they didn’t manage to produce a turnover. Against what should be much stiffer competition this time around they may need to engineer opportunities through turnovers.

The Eagles Offense vs the Chains: Jalen Hurts looked pretty comfortable in Atlanta. But rest assured, if the Eagles fall behind the chains and give the Niners pass rush opportunities to come after him in long distance scenarios, he will have a much more stressful afternoon that last Sunday. If they can stay on track and be able to have a healthy balance of pass and run to keep the San Fran pass rush guessing, they have a chance in this one.

Boylesports Betting:

Moneyline: San Francisco 13/20 Philadelphia 5/4
Over/Under: 49.5
Spread: San Fran -3

PP are offering 3/1 on the Patriots, 49ers, Browns and Broncos all to win this week. I’ll be having some of that myself.

12/1 on DaVonta Smith for 1st TD is good value too in my opinion.

VERDICT:

The Eagles were impressive in their first outing under new Head Coach Nick Siriani, and if they can play at anything like the same level again here, this will be a major test for the Niners. For me, that’s a massive ‘IF’ though and I expect the 49ers to expose a lot more chinks in the Eagles armour than the Falcons could. I also expect to see a bit more of Brandon Aiyuk, who was non existent against Detroit. Their Defense come in with a point to prove after that game too and I think they have too much for Philadelphia to handle if they get their you know what together. I’m taking the 49ers by 12

Liverpool v Crystal Palace Teams Announced

Liverpool play Crystal Palace on Saturday, September 18 in their first league game after the beginning of the UEFA Champions League group stage.

The game at Anfield is set to be an interesting one as Palace have looked good in their opening games so far.

The two teams have been announced for the fixture.

For Liverpool, James Milner comes in at right-back for Trent Alexander-Arnold, who misses out due to illness.

Ibrahima Konate makes his debut for Klopp’s side at the heart of defence alongside Virgil Van Dijk.

Kostas Tsimikas gets another game at left-back while Andy Robertson is rested for the clash.

A midfield trio of Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara is a stable and progressive one on paper.

Sadio Mané, Mo Salah and Diogo Jota are the front three for Liverpool once again with Roberto Firmino still sidelined with an injury.

Divock Origi and Naby Keita return to the bench after starting against AC Milan in midweek.

Marc Guehi is at centre-back for Crystal Palace after impressing in their victory over Tottenham Hotspur last weekend.

James McArthur captains the side in a midfield three alongside Chieck Kouyate and Conor Gallagher.

Former Liverpool player Christian Benteke leads the line for the Eagles with Jordan Ayew and Wilfried Zaha either side of him.

Martin Kelly and Nathaniel Clyne also make an appearance in the Palace squad on the bench.

Goalscorer last week, Odsonne Edouard will be looking for another fruitful display as a substitute.

Teams

Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson; Milner, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Fabinho, Henderson, Thiago; Mane, Jota, Salah.

Subs: Kelleher, Keita, Gomez, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jones, Minamino, Robertson, Origi, Phillips.

Crystal Palace (4-3-3): Guaita; Ward, Guehi, Andersen, Mitchell; Kouyate, McArthur (C), Gallagher; Ayew, Benteke, Zaha.

Subs: Butland, Tomkins, Kelly, Clyne, Riedewald, Hughes, Milivojevic, Olise, Edouard.

Where To Watch

Liverpool – Crystal Palace kicks off at 3 pm . Premier Sports will provide coverage of the game.

Ireland At Vancouver 7s – Preview, Squad, Where To Watch

The Ireland Men’s Sevens team will play the first leg of the curtailed 2021 World Rugby Sevens series in Vancouver this weekend.

Anthony Eddy’s side will play their first games since the Tokyo Olympics in July and a rotated squad will be at his disposal.

Eddy will use the upcoming tournaments in Canada to explore the depth of his Ireland Men’s Sevens squad as players are given the opportunity to stake a claim on the World Series stage.

Three Olympians are named in the squad – Bryan Mollen, Mark Roche and Gavin Mullin – with Mollen set to captain the squad.

Ireland will face Great Britain and invitational sides Hong Kong and Jamaica in Pool B in Vancouver from September 18-19 – Play-offs are scheduled for September 19.

Liam Turner and Seán Cribbin also add experience to the squad, with Turner having racked up 16 appearances on last year’s World Series.

Ireland U20 stars Shane Jennings, Chris Cosgrave and Ben Moxham will work with the sevens setup for the upcoming tournaments.

Moxham, along with Conor Phillips of Munster and Ed Kelly – the younger brother of Olympian Jack – have been part of the National Sevens programme for the last 12 months.

They featured during the IRFU HPC International 7s tournament in June, with the back-to-back tournaments in Canada presenting them with the platform to showcase their talents at the start of a new Olympic cycle.

Commenting on his selection, Eddy said: “It is great to have the HSBC World Series back up and running and expose some new players to the quality of this competition.

“The Canada tournaments provide a great opportunity for some players to put their hand up for future tournaments and the 2022 Series.

“We have some experience in the group and also players new to the World Series, so I am keen to see how some of the new players perform in this environment.”

Ireland will open their HSBC Canada Sevens campaign against Hong Kong on Saturday 18th September (5:44 pm Irish time), before going head-to-head with Jamaica (8:55 pm) and Great Britain (12:28 am) later in the day.

The Vancouver tournament will be followed by a second HSBC Canada Sevens event in Edmonton the following weekend, on 25th-26th September. The two rounds in Canada form the 2021 Series, with the Series title awarded in Edmonton.

Ireland Squad For Vancouver 7s

Niall Comerford (UCD RFC/Leinster)
Chris Cosgrave (UCD RFC/Leinster)
Seán Cribbin (Suttonians)
Shane Jennings (Buccaneers RFC/Connacht)
Sean Kearns (Irish Sevens)
Ed Kelly (Dublin University)
Steven Kilgallen (UCD RFC)
Bryan Mollen (Blackrock College)(Captain)
Ben Moxham (Ballymena/Ulster)
Gavin Mullin (UCD RFC)
Conor Phillips (Young Munster/Munster)
Mark Roche (Lansdowne)
Liam Turner (Dublin University/Leinster)

Where To Watch

The Vancouver 7s will be available to watch live on the World Rugby Youtube channel. The stream is scheduled to begin at 4:30 pm.

Cluxton Gives Dublin All-Ireland Glory – On This Day, 10 Years Ago

On this day 10 years ago, Stephen Cluxton put a late free-kick between the sticks against Kerry in the 2011 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final to seal a first title in 16 years for Dublin.

Dublin had reached their first final since 1995 after a low-scoring win over Ulster champions Donegal in the semi-final.

RTÉ Sunday Game pundit Pat Spillane famously called what Donegal played on that day “Shi’ite football.”

Kerry, on the other hand, beat Connacht champions Mayo to seal a first All-Ireland final date with Dublin since their 1985 win over the county.

Dublin were a side that had failed to crack the glass ceiling and show up when it mattered in the decade previous, having fallen short at the semi-final stage four times.

Kerry had won five All-Ireland’s in that span and were searching for a sixth since 2004 to continue their era of dominance.

Kerry started brightly when Declan O’Sullivan fisted the ball over in the second minute to give them the game’s first score.

Dublin forward Alan Brogan equalised nine minutes later before Colm Cooper found the net for the Munster champions.

However, Dublin turned the tables on the 2009 All-Ireland winners by half-time and went down the tunnel with a slim one-point lead (0-06 to 1-02).

Dublin continued their vein of form with two points early in the second half but Kerry fought their way back into the lead and had the momentum firmly in their favour.

Kevin McManamon came on for Paul Flynn in the 56th minute but by the 64th minute, his side were four points down and another year of hurt for fans of the boys in blue was on the cards.

McManamon swung the momentum back in Dublin’s favour after receiving a handpass from Alan Brogan, as he sidestepped his marker and put the ball in the back of the Kerry net in front of the hill.

Kevin Nolan and Bernard Brogan added points to put Pat Gilroy’s side in the lead with two minutes to go.

Kerry full-forward Kieran Donaghy equalised in injury time but a late foul on McManamon left fate up to Dublin goalkeeper Stephen Cluxton.

Cluxton stepped up to take the free and, with ice in his veins, sealed their first All-Ireland win in 16 years.

The side went on to win seven more All-Ireland titles over the course of the next decade and have only lost three times in championship football since.

The period of dominance may be over after an uninspiring 2021 season but it will never be forgotten.

Ireland Squad Named To Face Italy In Qualifier Showdown

Ireland head coach Adam Griggs has named the matchday 23 that will take on Italy in the all-important Rugby World Cup 2021 Europe Qualifier match.

Griggs has made four changes in personnel to his starting XV from the Round 1 defeat to Spain at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, with Laura Feely, Sam Monaghan, Edel McMahon and Eve Higgins coming into the side.

Ciara Griffin captains Ireland for the Round 2 clash against the host nation, as Griggs’ side bid to bounce back and keep their hopes of automatic qualification for next year’s Rugby World Cup from this tournament alive.

Higgins’ return to the Ireland midfield alongside Sene Naoupu – restoring their partnership from the Women’s Six Nations – is the only change to the backline from last weekend, with Eimear Considine, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe and Beibhinn Parsons continuing in an unchanged back three.

Lucy Mulhall, the Irish Sevens captain, makes way for Higgins after starting on her debut for the 15s against Spain.

Kathryn Dane and Stacey Flood are named at scrum-half and out-half once again, with Feely coming into the Ireland front row alongside Linda Djougang and Cliodhna Moloney for her 21st cap.

Having made her debut off the bench in Round 1, Monaghan is set for her first Test start in the second row alongside Nichola Fryday, while McMahon’s inclusion in the back row sees Griffin revert back to number eight, with Dorothy Wall continuing at blindside flanker.

Neve Jones, Lindsay Peat, Leah Lyons, Brittany Hogan and Claire Molloy are named on the bench, while Emily Lane, Enya Breen and Lauren Delany once again provide Griggs with the backline cover.

The game will be played at the Stade Sergio Lanfranchi in Parma – where the tournament is hosted – and will kick-off on Sunday, September 19 at 2 pm.

Ireland Squad v Italy

15. Eimear Considine (UL Bohemian/Munster)(19)
14. Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe  (Railway Union/Munster)(3)
13. Eve Higgins (Railway Union/Leinster)(3)
12. Sene Naoupu (Old Belvedere/Leinster)(42)
11. Beibhinn Parsons (Ballinasloe/Blackrock College/Connacht)(12)
10. Stacey Flood (Railway Union/Leinster)(4)
9. Kathryn Dane (Old Belvedere/Ulster)(14)

1. Laura Feely (Blackrock College/Connacht)(20)
2. Cliodhna Moloney (Wasps/IQ Rugby)(27)
3. Linda Djougang  (Old Belvedere/Leinster)(13)
4. Nichola Fryday (Blackrock College/Connacht)(19)
5. Sam Monaghan (Wasps/IQ Rugby)(1)
6. Dorothy Wall (Blackrock College/Munster)(8)
7. Edel McMahon (Wasps/IQ Rugby)(10)
8. Ciara Griffin (UL Bohemian/Munster)(Captain)(37)

Replacements:

16. Neve Jones (Malone/Ulster)(4)
17. Lindsay Peat (Railway Union/Leinster)(35)
18. Leah Lyons (Sale/IQ Rugby)(27)
19. Brittany Hogan (DCU/Old Belvedere/Ulster)(5)
20. Claire Molloy (Wasps/IQ Rugby)(71)
21. Emily Lane (Blackrock College/Munster)(4)
22. Enya Breen (UL Bohemian/Munster)(7)
23. Lauren Delany  (Sale Sharks/IQ Rugby)(15).

Republic of Ireland drop to 50th in FIFA World Rankings

Republic of Ireland drop to 50th in FIFA World Rankings

The Republic of Ireland have dropped to 50th in the newly released FIFA World Rankings upon their recent poor form.

At the start of the year, Ireland were placed 42nd, slowly moved their way down to 47th and now see themselves in 50th position.

This is Irelands lowest world ranking since 2015, when they were placed at a staggeringly low 67th in the world.

Rivals Northern Ireland move up to 47th, Scotland moves up to 45th. While Wales sit in 19th and Euro Runners-up England move into the top 3 for the first time (equalling their highest ever position) since September 2012 only behind Brazil in second and Belgium in the top spot.

Looking at Ireland’s World Cup opponents, Portugal have moved into the top 10, placing seventh. Serbia moves up to 28th, Luxembourg rise to 94th while Azerbaijan drop three places down to 117th.

Republic of Ireland drop to 50th in FIFA World Rankings

When Martin O’Neill took over in July 2014, Ireland was in their lowest ever ranking, placing 70th when the squad were winless from six games heading into the 2016 European Championship qualifiers.

By 2016, the Martin O’Neill era saw the team find form, qualify for the Euro’s and rise to a very respectable 23rd in the world rankings.

By 2017 however, they had dropped out of the top 30.

Under the short-term stint of Mick McCarthy in September 2019, the team got back in the top 30, placing 28th. But, since then have fallen off yet again.

When Stephen Kenny took over from Mick McCarthy in April 2020, the team were placed 34th in the world. But, yet again, have slowly progressed down the rankings to 50th.

For more News and Stories on all things Football, click here.

Spurs v Chelsea – Preview, Team News, Betting

Thomas Tuchel and Chelsea will want to continue their long unbeaten run as they face Spurs away on week five of the Premier League

The match will kick off at 16:30 on Sunday 19th September in White Hart Lane with Paul Tierney as referee.

Nuno Espirito Santo surprised many by easily winning his first three games but this all change within a week. Firstly, a red card to Tanganga led to a humiliating defeat against Crystal Palace, next they had a tough draw in their first Europa Conference League game against Rennes.

Chelsea’s strong start has progressed into the Champions League after they beat Zenit St Petersburg on Tuesday. With four teams still joined at the top of the table with ten points. Tuchel’s men will want to pull away.

The squad’s injury list remains small as well as having good depth on their bench. They will look at this as a must win game.

The Blues are the major favourites in this London derby, as two longstanding Premier League clubs, they have faced each other many times. In their last 29 meetings, Chelsea has won an outstanding 14 of them. There have also been 10 draws while Spurs have only won five games.

Last season, two uninteresting sides ended 0-0 and 1-0 to Chelsea.

Predicted Starting 11s

Tottenham Hotspur

Formation

4-3-3

Predicted Starting Team

Lloris (GK), Reguilon, Rodon, Romero, Emerson, Lo Celso, Skipp, Hojbjerg, Alli, Kane, Gil

Injuries / Suspensions

Dier (Leg), Son (Calf), Moura (Ankle), Sessegnon (Knock), Bergwijn (Knock), Tanganga (Suspended)

Chelsea

Formation

3-4-2-1

Predicted Starting Team

Mendy (GK), Chalobah, Silva, Azpilicueta, James, Kovacic, Jorginho, Alonso, Mount, Havertz, Lukaku

Injuries / Suspensions

Pulisic (Ankle), Kanté (Ankle)

Betting

Tottenham 15/4

Draw 11/4

Chelsea 8/11

 

Score Predictions

Injury problems have really hampered Tottenham’s chances even though they play at home. Espirito Santo will want his team to push on but a bad week of results may have knocked their confidence.

Expect this tie to end 2-1 to Chelsea.

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