Chelsea host Tottenham Hotspur in matchweek 8 of the Premier League at Stamford Bridge at 23:30 Vietnam time on 24 October 2026, according to the schedule published by Bongda24h. At his pre-match press conference at Cobham, head coach Xabi Alonso confirmed that Malo Gusto is fit again, while Pep Chavarria, Emmanuel Emegha and goalkeeper Emi Martinez are out, Chelsea's official website reported. Mike Penders, 21, is expected to make his first Premier League start.
Chelsea team news
| Player | Status | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Malo Gusto | Available | Missed the win at Everton last weekend |
| Pep Chavarria | Out | Training more, but not ready in time |
| Emmanuel Emegha | Out | Yet to play since joining in the summer; making progress |
| Emi Martinez | Out for a few weeks | Jaw surgery after a collision with Jarrad Branthwaite at Everton |
| Mike Penders | Expected to start | First Premier League start |
“Malo is fine,” Alonso said. “Pep is training a little bit more, but he is not going to make it.” On Martinez, who was stretchered off in the second half at Everton and needed surgery on his jaw, the manager was cautiously positive: “He had the surgery and day by day he is feeling better, but we still need to wait. A few weeks. Hopefully, less than more, but we need to wait.”
Penders steps up, with Courtois's endorsement
Penders came on midway through the second half at Everton and became Chelsea's youngest Premier League goalkeeper. He joined in the summer of 2024, in a deal worth 17 million pounds according to Bongda24h, spent last season on loan at Strasbourg and made his Chelsea debut in the Carabao Cup this season.
“He is ready,” Alonso said. “He has been training well and played a couple of cup games where he showed he has a good level.” He added that Martinez has been mentoring the youngster without being asked to: “It happens naturally, spontaneously every day because Emi likes to talk, not just with the other goalkeepers, but defenders as well.”
Alonso, who coached Thibaut Courtois at Real Madrid, also sought the Belgian's view. “The stature, both left-footed, both dominant in the air,” he said of the similarities between the two goalkeepers. “I spoke with Thibaut when he was at the World Cup and asked about Mike, and he said himself that he could see the resemblance with Mike.”
Form and history
Chelsea come into the derby on back-to-back league wins, 5-1 against Bournemouth and 2-0 at Everton, and a third would be their first run of three straight league victories since the start of this year. History is on their side: according to the club, they have lost to Tottenham only once in their past 41 home meetings at Stamford Bridge.
Roberto De Zerbi's Tottenham picked up their first Premier League win of the season last time out but have yet to win away from home. Alonso was not reading much into that. “I’ve seen a good team even in bad results, so we’re expecting a tough game against good opposition who do many good things,” he said. His demand was for a “very complete game” from his own side: “Offensively, defensively, mentality-wise going through difficult moments, as there will be moments for everything.”
What's next
The derby is the first of three high-profile fixtures in about a week. Chelsea travel to Liverpool in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup next week and then host Manchester United. “It was a matter of time until we had big games and this week we have three massive games against top clubs,” Alonso said. With Martinez out, Penders is set to keep the gloves for that run.