LONDON — Chelsea and Tottenham played out a pulsating 2-2 draw in a classic London derby at Stamford Bridge, as tempers flared on the pitch, on the sidelines between Thomas Tuchel and Antonio Conte and pretty much everywhere else as Spurs snatched a point in the 96th minute.
At the final whistle both Antonio Conte and Thomas Tuchel were sent off for their reaction to a handshake, as everyone piled in.
Harry Kane’s header deflected off Reece James and in to make it 2-2 with the last attack of the game after Chelsea had twice led through Kalidou Koulibaly and Reece James.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s shot had made it 1-1, but that was a massive moment of contention as Chelsea believed Havertz was fouled in the build-up.
On Spurs’ late goal to make it 2-2 there was also controversy as a VAR check for a foul on Marc Cucurella by Cristian Romero (who clearly pulled his hair) was waved away and then Spurs scored.
Utter chaos. Just the way we like it in the Premier league.
This is Tuchel ball: Intensity throughout. Controlling the tempo of the game. Three fluid forwards causing havoc. This is Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea. Many believe they would struggle to finish in the top four this season, and they still might, but this attacking performance suggests they will cause plenty of problems for opponents. Of course, defensively they have to improve and this draw will feel like a defeat.
Spurs’ Plan B is very dangerous: When Spurs went to a 4-2-4 formation and brought on Richarlison to partner Harry Kane up top and it worked. They equalized (twice) created a few big chances and this is a great option for Conte when Spurs are struggling to create chances. After struggling to have any kind of rhythm throughout the game, the switch to a 4-2-4 gave them the chance to actually keep the ball higher up the pitch. Against weaker defenses than Chelsea they will have a field day with this approach.
Chaos ensues in Battle of the Bridge 2022: From the Hojbjerg equalizer which Chelsea were fuming with after they believed Havertz was fouled, it was pure chaos. Tuchel and Conte clashed on the sidelines as the benches were emptied. Tuchel then ran down the sidelines to celebrate Chelsea’s second goal and then there was more pandemonium. After Romero’s hair pull wasn’t punished by VAR, Spurs scored from the resulting 96th minute corner to grab a point. At the final whistle Conte and Tuchel then went at it as they shook hands as a massive brawl broke out. This London derby rarely disappoints. On the pitch it was an intense spectacle and off it there were strong Battle of the Bridge vibes.
Anthony Taylor, officials will be under pressure: Chelsea will feel very hard done by with plenty of decisions throughout the game as Romero should have been sent off for violent conduct on Cucurella and that means Spurs shouldn’t have equalized. The foul on Havertz was 50/50. Bentancur got the ball, and Havertz, but the officials could point to the Spurs man getting a piece of the ball and probably play was too far developed to pull it back and disallow Spurs’ first goal.
Tactical focus
After a slow start Chelsea totally dictated the tempo of this game and for 95 minutes it was a tactical masterclass from Thomas Tuchel. He surprised many by starting Ruben Loftus-Cheek as a right wing-back but it was a masterstroke. RLC tucked inside often, creating overloads in midfield which stopped Tottenham from ever getting control of the game. With Spurs’ midfield locked down, Harry Kane and Heung-min Son were left isolated and that is never a good thing for Tottenham. However, then Antonio Conte switched to a 4-2-4 to wrestle back control of the game to help Spurs rescue a point as they were better going forward and took more risks. On his return to Chelsea, conte showed why he is one of the best.
Stars of the show
Ruben Loftus-Cheek: A surprise inclusion at right wing-back but not only did his job down that flank but also tucked inside to create an extra man in midfield. Spurs couldn’t handle him.
Kalidou Koulibaly: What a home debut for Koulibaly as he scored a beauty, launched into tackles and became a fans’ favorite in the space of 90 minutes. Chelsea’s fans are missing Antonio Rudiger anymore.
Hugo Lloris: Some incredible saves to deny Chelsea and that proved crucial as Spurs grabbed a point.
What’s next?
Chelsea head to play at Leeds on Sunday, Aug. 21, while Tottenham host Wolves on Saturday, Aug. 20.
How to watch Chelsea vs Tottenham live, stream link and start time
Kickoff: 11:30 am ET, Sunday
TV: USA Network Online:Stream via NBCSports.com
Chelsea vs Tottenham live analysis! – By Joe Prince-Wright at Stamford Bridge
Summary of the game. Pretty much.
Antonio Conte and Thomas Tuchel fight at the final whistle.
GOALLLL! 96th minute equalizer from Harry Kane, as he heads home and the ball flicks off Reece James and in. Chaos here. Pure chaos.
3 minutes to go…
This is what the Premier League is all about!
From the drama of Hojbjerg’s goal amid a possible foul, to the chaos on the sidelines between Conte and Tuchel, to Havertz’s big miss, to Reece James’ goal and then Tuchel’s celebration running down the touchline, this last 10 minutes has been epic.
GOALLL!! This place has gone wild. Kante finds Sterling and he finds a wide-open James to slot home. 2-1. Tuchel goes running down the sidelines to celebrate.
Reece James with the first time finish and Chelsea are back in the lead! #CFC
Miss! What a chance for Kai Havertz but he somehow slots wide from a great position. Wow. What a miss.
GOALLLL! Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s low daisy cutter sneaks in and it is 1-1. Huge moment of controversy as Havertz went down before that but nothing was given. Then it all kicks off on the sidelines. Pandemonium. Just chaos as Conte and Tuchel go at it right before the drinks break.
Spurs are looking much better after going to a 4-2-4 system. Conte is feeling it on the sidelines.
CLOSE! x2 Raheem Sterling fires over after a lovely mazy run from Ruben Loftus-Cheek. What a chance for Chelsea to double their lead… Then moments later Harry Kane is played in over the top but he scuffs his shot wide. A huge chance missed. Kane knows it as he slams the ground in frustration.
Richarlison is on for Tottenham. He replaces Ryan Sessegnon. Richarlison and Harry Kane are playing together up top. Tottenham have gone to basically a 4-2-4 formation with Kulusevski on the right and Heung-min Son on the left.
Tottenham hanging in there as Chelsea have them pinned in. Spurs can’t get out. Richarlison is coming on.
The second half is underway and Chelsea are right back on top. Loftus-Cheek continues to cause problems down the right. Spurs have to try and keep the ball better to have any chance of getting back in the game. No substitutes at half time for either team.
🚨 WATCH LIVE: Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham at half time!@JPW_NBCSports at Stamford Bridge: "After a slow start #CFC have absolutely dominated and Koulibaly's screamer has them ahead. #THFC will be delighted it's only 1-0."
Chelsea continue to do all of the pressing and Ruben Loftus-Cheek should make it 2-0, but he can’t get enough on his header at the back post. Tottenham are being dominate.
Water break! That gives us all a breather after that intense start.
It’s all Chelsea now. The home fans are loving it as they go through their renditions of songs making fun of Tottenham. They’re having a lovely time. The Spurs fans in the away end, not so much.
GOALLLL! GOALLLL! That gets the double goal treatment. Wowza. Kalidou Koulibaly with a stunning volley from a corner on his home Premier League debut. Stamford Bridge has just gone bonkers and Chelsea totally deserved that opener after a great spell of pressure. Tottenham kept dropping deeper and deeper. What a moment for Koulibaly who celebrates with Thomas Tuchel on the sidelines. Absolute scenes.
WELCOME TO THE BRIDGE KOULIBALY!
He catches the corner kick perfectly on the volley and fired Chelsea into the lead. #CFC
Nearly a great goal from Chelsea! Kante teed up Sterling and his back heel found Havertz who thought he had scored. However, Hugo Lloris with a fine save down low with his foot. What a stop that is.
Chelsea totally dictating the tempo of this game now, but Tottenham are very compact and there isn’t much space for Mount, Havertz and Sterling to operate in. Marc Cucurella is seeing a lot of the ball.
Lovely cross into the box from Kante but it evades Raheem Sterling who was lurking on the edge of the six-yard box.
What a start to this game. The pace is incredible. There’s no way they can keep this up, right?
Here are my thoughts ahead of kick off. Yeah, it’s so hot here the camera started to steam up during filming. It’s a scorcher.
🔵⚪️🔥 Chelsea. Tottenham. Massive London derby. Let’s go!
There is a real party atmosphere here at Chelsea. The new owners are fully in charge and it’s a new season with plenty of expectations. Add in this is a huge London derby and things will be very interesting today.
The lineups are out and it is very interesting. Marc Cucurella starts and it looks he is starting as the left wing-back in a 3-4-2-1 system. Tottenham are unchanged, as expected.
Welcome to a hot and steamy Stamford Bridge for what should be an, erm, hot and steamy London derby! These two always deliver drama, big moments and spirited scraps. Here’s hoping today is no different as two tactical geniuses lock horns.
Key storylines & star players
1W-1D-6L. That’s Tottenham’s dismal record against Chelsea over the last four Premier League seasons (3W-1D-9L if you include all competitions). Even in the best of times for Spurs — in the 2015 League Cup final and the Battle at the Bridge, when Tottenham were chasing Leicester City for the PL title, just to name a couple — Chelsea were a constant thorn in Mauricio Pochettino’s side. Now, Antonio Conte, a Premier League champion with Chelsea himself, is at the helm and Tottenham look stronger and more convincing than perhaps they ever have. With a clear plan finally in place from top down, the squad has been essentially set since the start of preseason, and there’s a confidence emanating from the club that has Spurs supporters believing that this time it really could turn out differently.
In contrast, Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel is working with far from a full deck these days. Since the end of last season, Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen (free transfers), Timo Werner and Romelu Lukaku (loans) have all left the club, with Raheem Sterling, Marc Cucurella and Kalidou Koulibaly ($165.4 million combined) arriving as reinforcements. There’s not currently a center forward at the club (remember, they’re both loaned out after being signed for $197 million combined), leaving the attack predictably blunt and unimaginative in a tedious win over the relegation candidate Toffees. And still, Chelsea’s recent dominance over Spurs sows doubt for one side and offers some much-needed hope for the other.
Chelsea team news, injuries, lineup
OUT: Mateo Kovacic (knee), Marcos Alonso (undisclosed)
GENEVA (AP) Indonesia was stripped of hosting the men’s U20 World Cup on Wednesday only eight weeks before the start of the tournament amid political turmoil regarding Israel’s participation.
FIFA said Indonesia was removed from staging the 24-team tournament scheduled to start on May 20 “due to the current circumstances” without specifying details.
The decision came after a meeting in Doha between FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Indonesian soccer federation president Erick Thohir.
Israel qualified last June for its first U20 World Cup. But the country’s participation in Friday’s scheduled draw in Bali provoked political opposition this month.
Indonesia is the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation and does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel, while publicly supporting the Palestinian cause.
Indonesia’s hosting was cast into doubt on Sunday when FIFA postponed the draw.
It is unclear who could now host the tournament, which was scheduled to be played in six stadiums in Indonesia. Argentina, which did not qualify for the tournament, is reportedly interested in hosting.
“A new host will be announced as soon as possible, with the dates of the tournament currently remaining unchanged,” FIFA said.
The Indonesian soccer federation could be further disciplined by FIFA. A suspension could remove Indonesia from Asian qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, which starts in October.
FIFA seemed to remove all blame Wednesday from Thohir, the former president of Italian club Inter Milan – the team Infantino supports – and a former co-owner of the Philadelphia 76ers.
FIFA staff will continue to work in Indonesia in the months ahead, the governing body said, “under the leadership of President Thohir.”
Soccer and public authorities in Indonesia agreed to FIFA’s hosting requirements in 2019 before being selected to stage the 2021 edition of the U20 World Cup. The coronavirus pandemic forced the tournament to be postponed for two years.
But Indonesian President Joko Widodo said Tuesday evening that his administration objected to Israel’s participation. He told citizens that the country agreed to host before knowing Israel would qualify.
Israel qualified by reaching the semifinals of the U19 European Championship. The team went on to lose to England in that final.
Israel plays in Europe as a member of UEFA after leaving the Asian Football Confederation in the 1970s for political and security reasons.
FIFA bills the men’s U20 World Cup as “the tournament of tomorrow’s superstars.”
Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi and Paul Pogba are previous winners of the official player of the tournament award, and Erling Haaland was the top scorer at the 2019 edition.
Remember: you can watch all 380 Premier League games across NBC, USA Network, NBCSports.com and Peacock. We’ve got you covered.
Will Manchester City win yet another Premier League title? Can Arsenal push them all the way? Will Chelsea and Liverpool recover to finish in the top four? Can Manchester United’s new-look side surge into the title race? What about Tottenham? How will the new boys get on? Who will be the surprise package?
Those questions will be answered from August 2022 to May 2023, with the full list of Premier League fixtures.
While below are the answers to all of the questions you have around the Premier League fixtures and everything else you need to know for the upcoming season, with full details on the Premier League TV schedule across the NBC family of channels and more.
The Premier League fixtures for the 2022-23 season were announced on Thursday June 16, 2022 at 4am ET. Below is the full schedule, as you can watch all 380 games across our NBC platforms.
The Premier League fixture computer decides who plays who and when, as teams located close to one another are usually playing at home on opposite weekends to help with policing, crowd control and transport congestion in those areas.
When will the Premier League take a break for the 2022 World Cup?
When will the 2022-23 Premier League season finish?
The final day of the season will be on Sunday, May 28, 2023.
Which teams will compete in the 2022-23 Premier League?
These are the 20 teams which will compete in the Premier League for the upcoming season:
Arsenal, Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Brentford, Brighton and Hove Albion, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Everton, Fulham, Leeds United, Leicester City, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers
Predictions for 2022-23 Premier League season
We made a few bold predictions ahead of the Premier League campaign, which you can read in full here. And we’ve also predicted how we think the Premier League table will look at the end of the 2022-23 campaign. I’m sure you agree wholeheartedly with these predictions…
2022-23 Premier League TV schedule
Below are the Premier League fixtures in full, with all kick offs listed at 10am ET unless otherwise stated:
2:45pm: AFC Bournemouth v Brighton
2:45pm: Leeds v Nottingham Forest
2:45pm: Leicester vs Aston Villa
3pm: Chelsea vs Liverpool
Wednesday 5 April
3pm: Man United v Brentford
3pm: West Ham v Newcastle
Matchweek 30
Saturday 8 April
7:30am: Man Utd v Everton
Aston Villa v Nottingham Forest
Brentford v Newcastle
Fulham v West Ham
Leicester v AFC Bournemouth
Spurs v Brighton
Wolves v Chelsea
12:30pm: Southampton v Man City
Sunday 9 April
9am: Leeds v Crystal Palace
11:30am: Liverpool v Arsenal
Matchweek 31
Saturday 15 April
7:30am: Aston Villa v Newcastle
Chelsea v Brighton
Everton v Fulham
Southampton v Crystal Palace
Spurs v AFC Bournemouth
Wolves v Brentford
12:30pm: Man City v Leicester
Sunday 16 April
9am: West Ham v Arsenal
11:30am: Nottingham Forest v Man Utd
Monday 17 April
3pm: Leeds v Liverpool
Matchweek 32
Friday 21 April
3pm: Arsenal v Southampton
Saturday 22 April
7:30am: Fulham v Leeds
Brentford v Aston Villa
Crystal Palace v Everton
Leicester v Wolves
Liverpool v Nottingham Forest
Sunday 23 April
9am: AFC Bournemouth v West Ham
9am: Newcastle v Spurs
Postponed due to European action
Man Utd v Chelsea
Brighton v Man City
Matchweek 33
Tuesday 25 April
2:30pm: Wolves v Crystal Palace
2:45pm: Aston Villa v Fulham
2:45pm: Leeds v Leicester
Wednesday 26 April
2:30pm: Nottingham Forest v Brighton
2:45pm: Chelsea v Brentford
2:45pm: West Ham v Liverpool
3pm: Man City v Arsenal
Thursday 27 April
2:45pm: Everton v Newcastle
2:45pm: Southampton v AFC Bournemouth
3:15pm: Spurs v Man Utd
Matchweek 34
Saturday 29 April
7:30am: Crystal Palace v West Ham
Brentford v Nottingham Forest
Brighton v Wolves
12:30pm: Arsenal v Chelsea
Sunday 30 April
9am: AFC Bournemouth v Leeds
9am: Fulham v Man City
9am: Man Utd v Aston Villa
9am: Newcastle v Southampton
11:30am: Liverpool v Spurs
Monday 1 May
3pm: Leicester v Everton
Rearranged games
Wednesday 3 May
3pm: Liverpool v Fulham
3pm: Man City v West Ham
Thursday 4 May
3pm: Brighton v Man Utd
Matchweek 35
Saturday 6 May
AFC Bournemouth v Chelsea
Spurs v Crystal Palace
Wolves v Aston Villa
12:30pm: Liverpool v Brentford
Sunday 7 May
9am: Man City v Leeds* subject to possible Champions League schedule
11:30am: Newcastle v Arsenal
2pm: West Ham v Man Utd
Monday 8 May
10am: Fulham v Leicester
12:30pm: Brighton v Everton
3pm: Nottingham Forest v Southampton
Saturday 13 May
Arsenal v Brighton
Aston Villa v Spurs
Brentford v West Ham
Chelsea v Nottingham Forest
Crystal Palace v AFC Bournemouth
Everton v Man City
Leeds v Newcastle
Leicester v Liverpool
Man Utd v Wolves
Southampton v Fulham
Saturday 20 May
AFC Bournemouth v Man Utd
Brighton v Southampton
Fulham v Crystal Palace
Liverpool v Aston Villa
Man City v Chelsea
Newcastle v Leicester
Nottingham Forest v Arsenal
Spurs v Brentford
West Ham v Leeds
Wolves v Everton
Sunday 28 May
16:00 Arsenal v Wolves
16:00 Aston Villa v Brighton
16:00 Brentford v Man City
16:00 Chelsea v Newcastle
16:00 Crystal Palace v Nottingham Forest
16:00 Everton v AFC Bournemouth
16:00 Leeds v Spurs
16:00 Leicester v West Ham
16:00 Man Utd v Fulham
16:00 Southampton v Liverpool
Arsenal rising star Folarin Balogun held talks with U.S. Soccer last week and now he is set to discuss his international future with England.
Balogun visited Orlando, Florida during the March international break and the USMNT eligible striker being interested in committing his international future to the USA caused quite the stir.
The England U21 forward missed their March camp due to a small injury and he then posted a photo on social media which showed he was near to the USMNT’s training camp in Florida and he has was around Orlando for the USMNT’s 1-0 win against El Salvador there.
Now, England U21 boss Lee Carsley has revealed that the Three Lions setup will hold talks with Balogun about his future next week, as they will travel to Reims in France where he is currently on loan from Arsenal.
“He’s going to have to make a decision, so all we can do is tell him how much we rate him. The rest is down to him,” Carsley said via the London Evening Standard. Balogun has scored seven goals in 13 U21 games for England.
However, USMNT interim head coach Anthony Hudson last week confirmed that Balogun and U.S. Soccer had held talks over his future.
“We’ve had a dialogue. He is out here [in Orlando] having a bit of a break and training. We’ve had some discussions. It’s now just about him enjoying the rest of his trip… It has been an opportunity for us to share about our program, and that’s it. I hope we speak again,” Hudson said.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Balogun is a man in demand as England, the USMNT and Nigeria all push for him to represent them as he continues to assess his options.
Balogun, 21, has scored 17 goals in France’s top-flight for Reims this season as his loan spell from Arsenal has gone incredibly well and only Jonathan David and Kylian Mbappe have scored more goals than him in Ligue 1 so far in 2022-23.
Internationally he is eligible to play for the USA, England and Nigeria and he has represented England’s youth teams in recent years and has previously played for the USA at U18 level.
Balogun was expected to play for the Three Lions during this international break as he is England’s main goalscoring threat at U21 level and Carsley wants him to represent them this summer at the U21 European Championships.
The talented striker used an unexpected window of opportunity to fly to Orlando to meet with U.S. Soccer reps to discuss his potential future with the USMNT. So, will he switch his international allegiance?
Arsenal teammate and USMNT’s starting goalkeeper Matt Turner had this to say when asked about Balogun.
“Yeah, he’d be a great addition to our national team. I think he’s done really well, obviously, for his club on loan, and we’ll see. The decision has to come from the heart, because it’s not necessarily an easy task always, to come and play in these CONCACAF games, and it’s a tough region at times. So for us, we’d be really grateful to have him, but his heart needs to be in it,” Turner said.
🗣 "He's been an integral part of our campaign."
Lee Carsley highlights the importance of Folarin Balogun, with his international future up in the air pic.twitter.com/jDUvjktxlC
Balogun has spoken about this topic before as Pro Soccer Talk asked him about his international future in an interview at the start of last season.
We asked Balogun if other Arsenal academy graduates like Yunus Musah and Bukayo Saka being in similar situations has led to them discussing how they made their decision on which country to represent and if that would help him to decide who he plays for internationally.
“I haven’t spoken to any of them about the nationality situation,” Balogun said. “Even from just the way I’ve known them, it is not something they have put a lot of pressure on themselves about. I think it is a decision that comes naturally to them.
“I think I’m going to do the same and hopefully something will just come to me and then I will make a decision… I don’t want to put too much pressure on the situation. It is just something that will just come to me.”
Maybe that feeling came to him while he was in the Orlando area with the USMNT.
Pep Guardiola’s Man City can momentarily cut the gap to leaders Arsenal to five points but there are question marks swirling around the fitness of goalscoring machine Erling Haaland heading into this game. City are looking for a three-peat of Premier League titles and five in the last six seasons, but Arsenal don’t look like they’re going to slip up anytime soon. So City can’t afford to either. They’ve won six in a row in all competitions, scoring 23 and conceding once in that run. We all know they love to kick on at this point of the campaign, so let’s see if they can do it again.
As for Liverpool, well, it has been one step forward and one step back pretty much all season long for Jurgen Klopp’s side. After their 7-0 shellacking of Manchester United, they then lost at Bournemouth to infuriate Klopp and their fans further. The front three of Salah, Nunez and Gakpo are all clicking through the gears nicely but Liverpool have to become more consistent and dominant games in midfield if they’re going to close the gap to the current top four. They’ve had success against City in recent years as their contrasting style of play match up well but this seems like a different, more fragile, Liverpool this season.
How to watch Manchester City vs Liverpool live, stream link and start time
Kick off: 7:30am ET, Saturday TV Channel: Peacock Online: Stream via Peacock Premium
Key storylines & in-form players to watch
The fitness of Haaland is obviously a huge concern for City as he suffered a groin issue and did not play for Norway over the international break and returned to Manchester for treatment. If he isn’t fit to start then expect Julian Alvarez to come in. Elsewhere, City are flying with Jack Grealish, Riyad Mahrez and Ilkay Gunodgan having a big role to play with Phil Foden out following his Appendectomy. As always, Kevin de Bruyne is the main man and will relish this chance to cut Arsenal’s lead atop the table.
Liverpool just can’t find consistency right now. They have improved defensively but they are a real Jekyll and Hyde team. Jurgen Klopp isn’t a fan of that and showed his frustration after their defeat at Bournemouth, which was their last Premier League game and was way back on March 11. He’s had a few weeks to stew over that loss and it will be intriguing to see what plan he has come up with. For this game as earlier this season Liverpool beat Man City 1-0 at Anfield by playing a front four which pinned City in.
Manchester City team news, injuries, lineup options
QUESTIONABLE: Erling Haaland (groin) | OUT: Phil Foden (appendix removed)
Liverpool team news, injuries, lineup options
OUT: Calvin Ramsay (knee), Stefan Bajcetic (groin) | QUESTIONABLE: Luis Diaz (knee), Darwin Nunez (ankle), Kostas Tsimikas (rib), Thiago Alcantara (hip), Joe Gomez (undisclosed)
