Chelsea vs Tottenham: McFarlane's Tactical Dilemma and Team Changes
Chelsea’s season is running on fumes, but there’s no time to lick wounds.
Forty-eight hours after the sting of an FA Cup final defeat to Manchester City at Wembley, Stamford Bridge must be ready for Tottenham under the lights on Tuesday night. The turnaround is brutal, the stakes still sharp. Calum McFarlane, thrust into the role of interim head coach, has little choice but to roll the dice.
McFarlane forced into a reshuffle
The 1-0 loss to City exposed fatigue as much as it did fine margins. Chelsea chased shadows for spells at Wembley, and McFarlane knows he cannot simply name the same XI and hope for fresher legs. Changes are coming.
At the heart of it all sits the big structural question: stick with the back three used in the final, or return to the 4-2-3-1 that Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior built their short tenures around? McFarlane has flirted with both shapes. Against Spurs, with emotions high and recovery time low, control in midfield and clarity in roles may matter more than anything. That points back towards 4-2-3-1.
Levi Colwill is central to that debate. The England defender has only just emerged from a serious, season-wrecking injury and was used carefully in recent weeks. McFarlane has already warned that Chelsea “must be careful” with him. With games against Tottenham and then Sunderland still to come, the sensible call is likely a place on the bench, not another full-blooded start.
That opens the door for a centre-back pairing of Wesley Fofana and Trevoh Chalobah, with Marc Cucurella expected to continue at left-back and Reece James offering thrust and leadership from the right.
Key returns, key doubts
There was at least one piece of good news at Wembley. Robert Sanchez returned in goal, helmeted in a Petr Cech-style skull-cap after his lay-off, and came through the final. Barring any late reaction, he should start again, giving Chelsea continuity in a position that has been unsettled all season.
Higher up the pitch, Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho both featured in the Cup final after missing two matches with training-ground knocks. Their presence immediately gave Chelsea more direct running and a threat on the break. Both are available again and both are crucial if McFarlane wants to stretch a Tottenham side that can be vulnerable when turned towards their own goal.
Not everyone is ready to go. Romeo Lavia picked up a knock on the eve of the final and did not even make the squad at Wembley. His involvement against Spurs is in serious doubt, another frustrating twist in a stop-start campaign for the midfielder.
Benoit Badiashile and Mamadou Sarr, by contrast, are fit but have simply been left out. McFarlane has been clear: those absences are down to selection, not the treatment room. With two league games left, he has hinted that either could be called upon against Spurs or Sunderland if the situation demands fresh defensive legs.
Midfield balance and attacking spark
If McFarlane does revert to 4-2-3-1, the double pivot almost picks itself. Andrey Santos and Moises Caicedo offer bite, range and a platform for the attacking talent ahead of them. Santos brings energy and progression, Caicedo the destructive edge and simple passes that keep Chelsea moving.
Ahead of them, the creative burden again falls on Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernandez. Palmer, operating from the right but drifting inside, has been Chelsea’s brightest light, the player most likely to unlock a defence or win a penalty with a dart into the box. Fernandez, in the No 10 role, can dictate tempo and thread passes between the lines, especially with Neto’s runs off the left.
Up front, Joao Pedro is expected to lead the line. His movement between centre-backs, his willingness to drop into pockets and link play, and his sharpness in tight spaces suit the 4-2-3-1 structure. With Neto and Palmer buzzing around him and Garnacho an option from the bench, Chelsea have enough firepower to trouble Spurs – if the legs hold up.
Predicted Chelsea XI vs Tottenham
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Sanchez; James, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella; Santos, Caicedo; Palmer, Fernandez, Neto; Joao Pedro
Doubt: Romeo Lavia
Injured: Estevao, Gittens, Derry
Kick-off is set for 8:15pm BST on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at Stamford Bridge.
The Cup dream died at Wembley. The league campaign now comes down to two nights, two opponents, and one last chance for this patched-up Chelsea side to show there is something worth building on when the summer upheaval begins.
