Met Police to deploy live facial recognition at Chelsea vs Tottenham amid high-risk assessment

The Metropolitan Police will deploy live facial recognition (LFR) technology around Stamford Bridge when Chelsea host Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Saturday 24 January, after the fixture was assessed as a “high-risk match” between the two London rivals.

Chelsea’s Supporters’ Trust (CST) revealed the plans on Wednesday after receiving a formal communication from the Met outlining the operation. Two LFR vans will be positioned at Earl’s Court and West Brompton during the pre-match phase, with signage placed outside the recognition zone in line with Metropolitan Police Service policy.

According to the police statement shared by the CST, the watchlist will include individuals subject to football banning orders connected to either club, persons wanted or missing in relation to serious offences, and those sought on warrants issued by His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service. The Met added that the Premier League and relevant football stakeholders are aware of and supportive of the deployment, and offered the CST a debrief within 72 hours of the operation.

The CST, which is affiliated with the Football Supporters’ Association and acts as a liaison between supporters and the club, published the police communication in full on X. Chelsea and the Metropolitan Police had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publication.

On the pitch, the two clubs arrive at Stamford Bridge in contrasting form. Chelsea sit fourth in the Premier League table with 13 points from seven matches and have won back-to-back games since the international break, defeating Bournemouth and Everton. Tottenham, under Roberto De Zerbi, secured their first league win of the season against Coventry City on Monday to climb out of the relegation zone, leaving them on six points from seven games.