Chelsea trash Tottenham 4-3 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Ange’s men sink further from Champions League contention

Tottenham entered the match on the back of a disappointing 1-0 loss to in-form Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium, hoping to redeem themselves at home at the London Derby. However, Enzo Maresca’s men proved too tough to beat, and Tottenham were ultimately defeated 4-3.

The first half of this thrilling Premier League encounter at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium ended with the home side leading 2-1 after a fast-paced and action-packed opening 45 minutes. Tottenham took the lead early on, with Dominic Solanke scoring in the 5th minute after a well-timed pass to give Spurs the advantage. Just six minutes later, Dejan Kulusevski doubled their lead, calmly finishing from the centre of the box following a strong team build-up. But, in typical ‘Spursy’ fashion, they failed to hold on to their 2-0 lead which made the Lilywhites sink further down the table and now sits at an embarrassing 11th place.

Chelsea responded in the 17th minute when Jadon Sancho curled a shot from outside the box into the bottom corner, pulling one back for the visitors. Despite some nervous moments, including a potential injury scare when Cristian Romero was forced off in the 14th minute, with Radu Drăguşin coming on as a replacement, Spurs struggled to hold their ground. Romero’s injury raised further concerns for Tottenham.

While Tottenham exploited Chelsea’s defensive mistakes, especially Marc Cucurella’s Steven Gerrard-esque slip, Chelsea dominated much of the second half and turned the game around. Spurs had no answer to the Blues’ attacking pressure, and a late goal sealed Chelsea’s 3-2 victory, leaving Tottenham with more questions than answers as they continue to fall short of their ambitions.

A penalty was awarded to Chelsea in the 59th minute after Yves Bissouma fouled Moisés Caicedo inside the penalty area, and Cole Palmer converted the penalty, bringing the score to 2-2. Chelsea then took the lead in the 73rd minute when Enzo Fernández scored with a left-footed shot from inside the box to make it 3-2, completing their comeback.

Tottenham had some strong chances, including a near-miss from Son Heung-Min in the 68th minute which the Korean blew wide theright side of the goal. In the 84th minute, Pape Sarr committed an unnecessary tackle on Palmer just inside the D-box, allowing Palmer to score a nasty panenka over the veteran Fraser Forster. The match also saw several corner kicks and blocked attempts, with Jadon Sancho and Cole Palmer playing pivotal roles in Chelsea’s attacking efforts.

Son Heung-Min scored a late tap-in in the 90+6th minute, but it had no effect on the game whatsoever, as it was too late to mount a comeback. However, the ending did provide glimpses of what James Maddison can bring to the team.

Player Ratings-

Fraser Forster: 5

Sancho’s goal was beyond his reach, but he made a crucial double save from Neto and Palmer around the half-hour mark. He showcased impressive reflexes to deny Sancho shortly after the second half began. Throughout the match, he was continuously exploited by Palmer.

Pedro Porro: 4

He appeared to be targeted by Chelsea with high aerial balls aimed at Sancho. It was questionable why he didn’t throw himself in front of Enzo’s shot. While he made some good runs, it was an overall poor performance from him.

Cristian Romero: N/A

Returning to the side after injury, his comeback lasted only 15 minutes before he was forced off with another injury, further adding to Spurs’ woes.

Micky van de Ven: 6

Forced back too early, much like Romero, he couldn’t last the full distance and it looks like another potential hamstring issue. Spurs are clearly at their wits’ end with injuries, and it was evident today as they struggled in the second half without their fastest player.

Destiny Udogie: 5

He struggled badly in the build-up to Chelsea’s third goal, where Palmer turned him inside out. He was Tottenham’s version of Cucurella today, offering little as to nothing.

Yves Bissouma: 4

He was easily the worst player on the pitch, and it was baffling to see him go to ground, gifting Chelsea a penalty. Subbed off in the 78th minute, he made the match incredibly difficult for Fraser.

Pape Sarr: 4

He was in close contention for being the worst player, booked in the 29th minute. He headed against the bar from Son’s corner but, like another midfielder, made a foolish mistake that led to Chelsea being awarded a penalty.

Dejan Kulusevski: 7

Tottenham’s in-form player once again made Cucurella pay, cutting inside and calmly finding the back of the net. He was replaced in the 78th minute but was one of the standout performers today. His solo goal was a slick finish.

Brennan Johnson: 6

He did well down the right to capitalise on Chelsea’s error, delivering a cross for Solanke. Unfortunately, he was forced off with an injury early in the second half, adding further to Spurs’ woes.

Dominic Solanke: 5

He got the scoring underway with a well-taken finish, converting Johnson’s pass with his toe. He nearly added a second ten minutes before half-time but couldn’t adjust his feet in time to capitalize on Son’s cross. However, after his goal, he largely disappeared from the game

Son Heung-Min: 7

He linked up well with Solanke down the left and was unlucky not to score on 68 minutes when he failed to hit the target. However, he did find the back of the net in injury time with a simple finish. Despite wasting an easy opportunity, his overall contribution to the team’s forward progress and the constant cut ins, earned him a fair rating

Substitutes

Radu Dragusin: 7

The most surprising factor today was his performance in place of the injured Romero. He made a terrific challenge on Jackson inside the penalty area five minutes before half-time. However, he faded out of the game after the break, struggling to make an impact in the second half.

James Maddison: 6

In another brief appearance, he created opportunities, provided an assist, but squandered a clear chance by blasting it over the bar.

Archie Gray: NA

Lucas Bergvall: NA

Timo Werner: 5

Replaced Johnson and faced his former side late on.