Chelsea host rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, with both sides looking to make it two wins from two.
A Jorginho penalty was enough for Chelsea to open their 2022/23 Premier League season with a win, beating Everton 1-0 at Goodison Park. Spurs won in a much more comfortable fashion, with Dejan Kulusevski starring in a 4-1 win over Southampton. These two sides met four times in all competitions last season, with Chelsea winning by an aggregate score of 8-0. The four wins came in the league and two in the Carabao Cup semi-final, but a much-improved Spurs squad could put up a tougher test this season.
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Antonio Conte's side has been handed a boost before the clash, with summer signing Richarlison back from suspension. Kalidou Koulibaly was taken off against Everton with cramp for Chelsea, but the defender is fit for Sunday afternoon.
So, what could the final score be in the biggest game of the Premier League season so far? We simulated Chelsea versus Spurs to find out.
Chelsea vs Tottenham Hotspur score prediction
To complete this simulation, we used FIFA 22 and updated the squads with the latest transfers. Due to FIFA 22 not having the latest kits, both sides lined up in the kits for the 2021/22 season.
We predict that Tuchel's side could set up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, with their line-up as follows: Mendy; Azpilicueta, Silva, Koulibaly; James, Kante, Jorginho, Cucurella; Mount, Sterling; Havertz.
We predict that Conte's side could set up in a 3-4-3 formation, with their line-up as follows: Lloris; Romero, Dier, Davies; Royal, Hojbjerg, Bentancur, Sessegnon; Kulusevski, Kane, Son.
Chelsea started the stronger of the two sides at Stamford Bridge, with Spurs struggling to maintain the threat of Marc Cucurella and Raheem Sterling down the left. Spurs sat deep to try and absorb the pressure, but their tactics failed as Chelsea took the lead just before the break.
Mason Mount received the ball on the turn inside the box, going through one-on-one with Hugo Lloris, but blasting his shot straight at the 'keeper. Fortunately for Mount, the shot had too much power for Lloris to hold as the ball fell back to the Chelsea man, and the England international scored on the second attempt as he struck into an empty net.
It was Chelsea's game to lose, with Thomas Tuchel's side in full control and keeping the dangerous Spurs attack at bay. But, Spurs found an equaliser in the 73rd minute - their first shot of the game.
Lucas Moura, on for Kulusevski, cut in from the right and found Harry Kane inside the box. The striker peeled off the shoulder of Thiago Silva brilliantly before firing his shot past Edouard Mendy at the near post.
Conte's side had been limited to shots all game with Chelsea controlling possession, but their threat in attack took advantage of their one chance. The game looked set to be ending as a draw, but a last-minute goal secured the win for Chelsea.
Mount surged forward and offered a fantastic forward route for Reece James, and the wing-back found the run of Mount with a lovely pass into the box. With Ben Davies on his back and no option to cut inside, Mount fired an effort past Lloris at his near post, winning the game for his side with the final chance of the match.
FIFA 22 predicted final score: Chelsea 2-1 Spurs
Here are the full-time match stats.
Chelsea could just narrowly edge past rivals Spurs on Sunday afternoon, with a late goal sealing the contest. The simulation predicts that despite limited chances, Spurs still managed to score, with their quality in the attack a factor Chelsea need to be very wary of come Sunday.
What do you think the score will be between Chelsea and Spurs on Sunday? Let us know in the comments!
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