By Will Conroy
Once again it was ultimately Tottenham Hotspur who slipped up. Gifted an early 2-0 lead, Ange Postecoglou’s team could not hold on.
In truth, they never looked like holding on as they once more stumbled, this time 4-3 to Chelsea.
A tifo was unveiled before kick-off – reading “Audere” (to dare – from the Tottenham motto ‘to dare is to do’) and the home fans scrunched up the pieces of paper and threw them at Chelsea players, especially Cole Palmer as he took the corners. But it was Spurs who tossed the game away.
Palmer also takes Chelsea’s penalty kicks and scored two more here – meaning his record in the Premier League is a perfect 12 from 12, which is unmatched – including an audacious “Panenka” that emphasised Chelsea’s swagger and led to a mass exodus of disillusioned Spurs fans.
It was a capitulation in the capital from them in this London derby and they were almost too stunned to boo. “Tottenham Hotspur, it’s happening again,” chanted the goading Chelsea fans.
Both spot-kicks also highlighted Spurs’ vulnerabilities. Both were stupidly conceded when Yves Bissouma and Pape Sarr made unnecessary, reckless challenges born of desperation. What were they thinking? Were they even thinking? Chelsea could not believe their luck – but accepted it.
Under pressure: Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou.Credit: Getty Images
Chelsea may have weaknesses of their own, but they are back up to second, four points behind Liverpool, who have a game in hand, and two ahead of Arsenal after their draw away to Fulham. They can play down their title prospects all they like but this is a strong, confident squad with some special talents such as Palmer – who brushed aside being man-marked by Bissouma - and Moises Caicedo. They also have momentum.
It was a result and, also, a performance from Spurs that piled the pressure on Postecoglou, who held his head in disbelief after Chelsea captain Enzo Fernandez volleyed his side into the lead.
Postecoglou’s gamble of rushing back his centre-halves Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven – showing how much he needed them and needed a result – backfired badly as both went off. Romero lasted little more than 14 minutes having suffered a fresh injury (to his quad muscle) after his toe problem; Van de Ven felt “tightness”. In the directors’ box chairman Daniel Levy looked down and his face said it all. It was even more taut than van de Ven’s hamstring.
These are increasingly dangerous times for Postecoglou with Spurs, down to 11th in the table, having achieved just one win in their last seven games in all competitions. And that – bizarrely – was against Manchester City.
Enzo Fernandez celebrates the goal that put Chelsea ahead.Credit: AP
It is the manner of the defeats, and the ease with which they concede, that is killing them at present and surely putting his job increasingly at risk. There is, unfortunately, an enduring soft underbelly and a flakiness that opponents are seizing on as they lost a two-goal lead for the 11th time, four times more than any other Premier League team.
Spurs will argue that Caicedo, who earned the first penalty to draw Chelsea level when he was taken out by Bissouma, should have been red-carded for an ugly challenge on Sarr in the first-half. Somehow the VAR deemed it was not unnecessary force and no action was taken. However, Chelsea will counter that Dejan Kulusevski could also have been dismissed after catching Romeo Lavia in the face with his elbow. Lavia was substituted at half-time, but that was because of a hamstring concern.
For Spurs there was no excuse. Goals from Dominic Solanke and Kulusevski, both accomplished finishes, both coming after Marc Cucurella lost possession by slipping over with Brennan Johnson seizing on the ball, gave them what should have been a commanding lead.
After that Cucurella sprinted over to the touchline to grab a different pair of boots that had more of a stud. How could such an experienced player make such a rookie mistake?
But Spurs never had control. They never tried to take the temperature out of the game and were far too open, especially in midfield where there was always space for Chelsea to exploit and no Spurs players actually got hold of the ball and tried to dictate the play.
Jadon Sancho, with a fine individual effort, quickly reduced the advantage as he was allowed to run unchallenged and from that moment it felt like Spurs were always going to blow it.
They will argue they had chances – Sarr hit the crossbar with a header, Solanke should have added a second, Son Heung-min ran clear and shot wide – but Chelsea had more. There were at least four excellent saves from Spurs goalkeeper Fraser Forster.
There was just not enough pressing from Spurs or attempts to close Chelsea down as Sancho played in Caicedo, for the first penalty, Palmer was allowed to dribble from the touchline into the area for Fernandez’s goal – what was Destiny Udogie doing? - and then Palmer was needlessly bundled over for the second penalty. He was running away from goal.
Six minutes into added-time Son scored, to reduce Chelsea’s advantage, side-footing home after smart work from substitute James Maddison but it was all too late. Like so many things with Spurs, it just gave a flicker of false hope.
The Telegraph, London
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