football.london reporters select their Tottenham starting XIs for the Premier League trip to Chelsea
19:30, 18 May 2026Updated 19:35, 18 May 2026
Antonin Kinsky
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Antonin Kinsky should keep his place in goal for Tottenham vs Chelsea
One point will effectively secure Tottenham's Premier League status for next season but they will be dreaming of recording a big win at Stamford Bridge against London rivals Chelsea.
Roberto De Zerbi has already warned his players they are "not safe yet," and while that remains true, there is finally light at the end of the tunnel for the Europa League winners.
There are a few key selection decisions for the Italian to make following last week's 1-1 draw against Leeds but it seems unlikely we will see too many changes.
football.london reporters Alasdair Gold and Ryan Taylor pick their starting XIs for the contest.
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Alasdair Gold - Tottenham correspondent
De Zerbi appeared to suggest that he would stick with Antonin Kinsky between the sticks over the returning Guglielmo Vicario and that's the right decision.
The Czech is sharp and in good form and the Italian would be coming in cold with plenty of pressure on him to show the same level.
Elsewhere I wouldn't change anything about the team as it's the same one that performed in the right way in the away game at Aston Villa.
Keeping some consistency with the selection can only help the players with their patterns of play and understanding of playing this slightly compromised version of De Zerbi's football.
James Maddison overcame a little problem earlier in the week and has trained well in recent days so could get more than the 20 minutes he got against Leeds, which could be important if Spurs can keep the game tight.
Gold's team: (4-2-3-1) Kinsky; Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Udogie; Palhinha, Bentancur; Kolo Muani, Gallagher, Tel; Richarlison.
James Maddison
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James Maddison made his return for Tottenham last week vs Leeds
Ryan Taylor
Tottenham may not have won against Leeds but there has been a familiarity about the team in recent weeks.
For that reason, it makes no sense to twist, particularly in goal, even if Guglielmo Vicario is back available.
Roberto De Zerbi makes no secret of the fact the Italian is his No.1 but Antonin Kinsky has been excellent in his absence and looks really comfortable between the sticks.
I'd keep him and the rest of the team the same because they're all in sync, have built relationships on the pitch over the past month and are putting points on the board.
I don't think James Maddison will be ready to start and there's no point throwing him into a game like this where the tackles will be flying in.
Spurs need to protect him, though his quality did shine through last week at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
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Maybe he can up it to 30 minutes from the bench depending on the context of the game.
Taylor's team: (4-2-3-1) Kinsky; Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Udogie; Palhiha, Bentancur; Kolo Muani, Gallagher, Tel; Richarlison.
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