In the Premier League, Chelsea triumphed over Tottenham Hotspur with a score of 2-0, making Tottenham’s third consecutive loss. Questions surrounding Tottenham’s weakness in defending from set pieces arose, to which their manager, Ange Postecoglou responded with confidence in their ability to improve. This loss further threatens Tottenham’s current season.
This victory, however, refuels Chelsea’s ambition towards a Europa League finish despite a challenging season. Their outstanding performance in the first half starkly contradicted Tottenham’s, causing visible frustration for Postecoglou. The Spurs’ defeat mirrored their loss to Arsenal in the previous week’s derby, cementing a pattern in their downfall.
Marc Cucurella played a pivotal role in disarming Brennan Johnson and setting up Trevoh Chalobah’s 24th-minute header, effectively leading Chelsea. Tottenham’s poor defence against set pieces was further exposed when Cole Palmer scored the 16th goal past the Spurs from a free kick, placing Tottenham as one of the teams with the highest number of set piece goals conceded.
As a result of this performance, Mauricio Pochettino celebrated his 400th match as the manager of the Spurs. This match took place on the same day as the 8th anniversary of the Battle of the Bridge, a turning point in Tottenham’s championship aspirations marked by high tension and hostilities.
Traditionally a heated contest, this match up brought back memories of the Chelsea’s massive 4-1 victory last November. A spectacle occurred before the start of play when fans unveiled a banner with Conor Gallagher’s image with caption “Chelsea since birth”, hinting their wish to prevent a possible sale of him, especially to the Spurs, in upcoming transfers.
Clearly, Postecoglou’s interest in Gallagher comes at no surprise. Not a single Premier League player outdid Gallagher in terms of ball recoveries in the final third this season, making him a great choice for Ange-ball. Early in the one-sided first half, Gallagher had shown his worth, initiating a noteworthy play by dispossessing Pape Sarr which led to Mykhailo Mudryk setting up Jackson for a significant opportunity.
Jackson faced goalkeeper Vicario, and though the shot was disrupted, it continued towards the goal until Micky van de Ven swooped in to clear it just ahead of the line. This clearance, however, unintentionally hit Palmer, whose unprepared reaction sent the ball soaring over the crossbar.
The first half exacerbated Postecoglou’s frustration. Chelsea’s supremacy was clear, with Gallagher driving the tempo and both Noni Madueke and Mudryk adding threat from the wings. On the contrary, Spurs showed less command, displaying sloppy passing game, particularly in their attempts to originate from defence. Their game plan and composure were lacking, which caused dissatisfaction among the away supporters as the halftime whistle blew.
Alfie Gilchrist and Madueke had come close, indicating the upcoming breakthrough. The tipping point occurred during a set piece, facilitated by a blocked off Spurs player, when Gallagher’s deep free-kick allowed Cucurella to hinder Johnson. This created an opening for Chalobah, who skilfully directed a header over Vicario. While not offside, Cucurella’s move was not considered an overt foul according to the VAR.
Potential goals were brewing for Chelsea, with Mudryk barely missing a shot at the post at the 33-minute mark, which was just before Spurs began to pick momentum. Highlights included Cristian Romero’s near-miss header from Pedro Porro’s free-kick and promising attempts from both Sarr and Johnson, with Sarr’s effort being blocked by Chalobah.
Despite a severely injured squad, with a staggering 14 casualties this season, Pochettino’s woes never reached the magnitude of those at this game. Postecoglou, battling his own problems, was compelled to use Emerson Royal outside his natural position at left back, bringing back Yves Bissouma while benching James Maddison.
Interpreting the atmosphere in the Spurs’ locker room during half-time wasn’t challenging. A pre-second half team meeting was held on the field itself, after which the players returned with rejuvenated energy and focus. Spurs led the counter-offensive in the second half, leaving Chelsea retreating back. A left-footed shot from Palmer went too high and another missed after he deftly bypassed Emerson.
Postecoglou introduced a new set of midfielders, adding Hojbjerg, Bentancur, and Maddison to the mix, pushing Spurs to steadily generate appealing manoeuvres, despite not making any distinct shots. Spurs was dispirited by Chelsea’s second goal. After witnessing Johnson’s missed opportunity, the feeling that the game was slipping away only intensified. Despite a surge of effort from Spurs in the last minutes, it was insufficient and unfortunately, too late. By this time, a majority of their fans had already exited the premises. – Guardian