Enzo Fernandez’s second-half header proved the difference as Chelsea edged out Tottenham in a crucial win for their Champions League hopes.
The first half was bookended by two major Chelsea chances, with Nicolas Jackson hitting the post in the first minute before Guglielmo Vicario produced a sublime save to deny Jadon Sancho on the brink of the interval.
An unmarked Fernandez met a delicious Cole Palmer cross to put the Blues in front after the restart, before Moises Caicedo appeared to double Chelsea’s lead with a super volley, only for the strike to be ruled out for offside.
Tottenham were later denied by VAR themselves as Pape Matar Sarr fired in from range, only to be adjudged to have fouled Caicedo in the build-up.
That reprieve was enough for Chelsea to hold on, securing the points and propelling them back into the top four.
Follow all the latest build-up and team news from Stamford Bridge below:
Chelsea vs Tottenham LIVE
- Chelsea XI: Sanchez; Gusto, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella; Fernandez, Caicedo; Sancho, Palmer, Neto; Jackson.
- Tottenham XI: Vicario; Spence, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bergvall, Sarr; Odobert, Maddison, Son; Solanke.
- 1' OFF THE POST! Jackson nearly scores freak goal but hits woodwork [CHE 0-0 TOT]
- 45' SAVE! Vicario with the fingertips stop to deny Sancho [CHE 0-0 TOT]
- 50' GOAL! Fernandez heads home from delicious Palmer cross [CHE 1-0 TOT]
- 60' GOAL DISALLOWED! Caicedo stunner chalked off for offside [CHE 1-0 TOT]
- 73' GOAL DISALLOWED! Sarr equaliser ruled out for Spurs [CHE 1-0 TOT]
Chelsea FC 1 - 0 Tottenham Hotspur FC
Ange Postecoglou blasts VAR: 'It's killing the game'
23:00 , Will Castle"It's killing the game mate, it's not the same game it used to be,” Postecoglou told Sky Sports. “We all sat on our couches last night and watched TV [when Everton's James Tarkowski was not sent off for a high challenge on Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister] and I guarantee you if Jarred Gillett was VAR last night it would've been a different outcome so you just don't know what we're going to get.
"You are standing around for 12 minutes. It's just killing the game, but no-one cares about that, they just love the drama and controversy and I'm sure there will be 24 hours discussion about it and that's what everyone wants - they're not really interested that it's killing the spectacle of the game.
"If a referee sees that and he needs to see it for six minutes, what's clear and obvious about it?”
Report: Tottenham’s latest farcical display at Chelsea can only mean one thing for Ange Postecoglou
22:46 , Miguel DelaneySomehow, a match-week that started with Chelsea selling a football team to themselves ends with an even greater level of farce.
Ange Postecoglou has suffered defeats of a far more humiliating scale than this mere 1-0 loss at Stamford Bridge, but his ill-advised decision to gloatingly cup his ear after a disallowed goal just made this much worse.
It’s hard not to think that will serve as an epitaph for the Australian’s end in this job. He certainly can’t hear the fans backing him any more.
Spurs’s latest farcical display at Chelsea can only mean one thing for Postecoglou
Chelsea seal crucial win over Spurs in hunt for Champions League
22:45 , Will Castle
FULL-TIME! Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham
22:06 , Will CastleChelsea get over the line!
Enzo Fernandez’s header proves the difference as the Blues secure a crucial derby win.
Moises Caicedo and Papa Matar Sarr both had goals disallowed in a frantic second half, but in the end it was Chelsea who took home all the points.
Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham
22:02 , Will Castle90+12 mins: One last lump forward for Spurs... and they’ve given it away before even getting into the final third!
Madueke is fouled in the break and Spence is booked.
That should be it.
Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham
22:01 , Will Castle90+10 mins: Another wasted corner from Spurs as it’s cleared by a Chelsea head.
The Blues now have a free-kick deep in their half, which Sanchez is going to lump forward.
Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham
21:59 , Will Castle90+8 mins: Porro is enraged with the linesman for not awarding a corner as his attempted cross ricocheted off Dewsbury-Hall.
He does have a point - that is an obvious corner - but you can’t scream in the official’s face like that, and he is given a yellow for his troubles.
Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham
21:57 , Will Castle90+6 mins: Tottenham work it around the box before finding Tel in space on the left.
The Frenchman delivers a cross but it’s far too close to the keeper who gathers easily.
Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham
21:54 , Will Castle90+4 mins: Dominic Solanke penalised for a pull-back on Tosin as Tottenham try to work a late opening.
Solanke has been non-existent tonight.
Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham
21:52 , Will Castle90+1 mins: TWELVE minutes added on.
Presumably at least three quarters of that is made up from VAR stoppages. As I said earlier, semi-auto offsides cannot come soon enough.
Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham
21:51 , Will Castle90 mins: SAVE! A BIG stop from Sanchez!
Johnson breaks down the right and spots Son rushing towards the back-post in space.
He picks the South Korean out who slides in to turn the ball goalwards, but Sanchez dives across to save.
Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham
21:49 , Will Castle89 mins: Fernandez feels he should have won a penalty as he gets into a tangle of legs with Udogie.
Referee doesn’t give it and neither does VAR.
Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham
21:48 , Will Castle87 mins: Double change for Spurs as Van de Ven and Maddison make way for Tel and Porro.
Three minutes plus stoppage time to find an equaliser.
Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham
21:45 , Will Castle84 mins: Palmer tries to chip Vicario but the Italian reaches to claw it away. Nearly a moment of brilliant from the Englishman, with Thomas Tuchel in the stands watching on.
Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham
21:43 , Will Castle82 mins: Maddison’s free-kick hits the wall and goes out for a corner, from which nothing arises.
Reece James has now entered the field in place of Nicolas Jackson as Chelsea look to tighten things up.
Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham
21:41 , Will Castle79 mins: Lovely spin by Fernandez in the box before firing an effort towards goal, parried away by Vicario.
Up the other end, Neto hacks down Son outside the box and earns a yellow.
Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham
21:39 , Will Castle77 mins: This game has opened up a bit since Sarr’s equaliser was ruled out.
Spurs realise that while they have been second best for much of today, they are still in the contest.
Chelsea, meanwhile, are now looking to add to their advantage and take the game out of sight.
GOAL DISALLOWED! Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham
21:34 , Will Castle73 mins: GOAL DISALLOWED! Sarr is judged to have fouled Caicedo recklessly and not only sees his goal chalked off, but is awarded a yellow card.
Chelsea’s lead stays in tact.
GOAL! Chelsea 1-1 Tottenham
21:31 , Will Castle69 mins: GOAL! From nowhere, Spurs are level!
Sarr fires from range and it beats Sanchez, who definitely should have done better. His attempted save isn’t strong enough, only able to parry up onto the underside of the bar, from which it bounces in.
But wait - there’s a VAR check, and the ref has been sent to the screen...
Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham
21:29 , Will Castle68 mins: Chelsea’s first change of the game sees them welcome back another attacking star from injury as Noni Madueke comes on for Jadon Sancho.
Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham
21:27 , Will Castle66 mins: Half-hearted penalty appeals from Spurs as Chalobah slides across to block a low cross.
No spot-kick, corner given - which results in a half-chance for the visitors as Van de Ven swings a boot at a bouncing ball. Straight into the arms of Sanchez.
Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham
21:26 , Will Castle64 mins: Time for Postecoglou to turn to his bench as Spurs look to shift the tides in this game.
Odobert and Bergvall make way for Johnson and Sarr.
Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham
21:24 , Will Castle63 mins: Craig Pawson isn’t a popular man in the Bridge right now.
Having just chalked off, Caicedo’s stunner, he’s denied Chelsea from breaking into the box with a short free-kick because he hadn’t finished pacing out his 10 yards for the wall.
GOAL DISALLOWED! Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham
21:20 , Will Castle60 mins: GOAL DISALLOWED! After about four minutes of deliberation, Caicedo’s strike is ruled out for offside.
Semi-automated offsides can’t come soon enough. That took an age.
GOAL! Chelsea 2-0 Tottenham
21:17 , Will Castle56 mins: GOAL! A BEAUTY from Moises Caicedo!
Bergvall tries to head the free-kick away but it falls right to Caicedo, who leathers home the volley.
But - there’s a VAR check for offside going on. This might be ruled out.
Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham
21:16 , Will Castle54 mins: Chelsea have their tails up here and are looking to add to their lead while they’ve got momentum.
Neto tries running towards the box but gets clattered into by Maddison - they’ve got another free-kick in a potentially dangerous position.
GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham
21:11 , Will Castle50 mins: GOAL! Enzo Fernandez nods in a simple header, but it was all about the cross from Cole Palmer!
Chelsea have the lead!
Chelsea 0-0 Tottenham
21:09 , Will Castle47 mins: First half-chance of the second period as Chelsea whip a very inviting free-kick into the box - it bends just beyond the on-rushing Chelsea heads and goes out for a goal kick.
BACK UNDERWAY! Chelsea 0-0 Tottenham
21:07 , Will Castle46 mins: BACK UNDERWAY! We’re off again.
HALF-TIME! Chelsea 0-0 Tottenham
20:57 , Will Castle
HALF-TIME! Chelsea 0-0 Tottenham
20:50 , Will CastleWe’re all square at the break.
It was a half bookended by its major chances, with Nicolas Jackson scoring a freak goal inside a minute, only to see his ricocheted effort hit the post.
Guglielmo Vicario then produced a stunning save to deny Jadon Sancho as the half ticked over into stoppage time.
A stalemate so far.
Chelsea 0-0 Tottenham
20:48 , Will Castle45+1 mins: A bit of drama to sink our teeth into - finally.
Lots of pushing and shoving as Colwill ends up on the deck, with Chalobah and Romero both receiving yellow cards.
TWO minutes of added time, by the way.
Chelsea 0-0 Tottenham
20:46 , Will Castle45 mins: SAVE! What a stop that is by Vicario.
I just said that Chelsea aren’t having much luck with their crosses - well they very nearly did there.
Neto lofts one to the back post and an unmarked Sancho gets it under control before bending one towards the far corner.
Vicario stretches and gets fingertips on it to divert it over the bar. Big save.
Chelsea 0-0 Tottenham
20:45 , Will Castle43 mins: Cole Palmer drives forward looking to inspire a Chelsea breakthrough before the interval.
He sends a diagonal ball to Neto, who’s in space on the right - but momentum is lost when the Portuguese winger falls on his backside upon receiving the pass.
Chelsea are back to peppering crosses into the Spurs box, to little avail.
Chelsea 0-0 Tottenham
20:42 , Will Castle41 mins: Spurs enjoying a nice spell of possession for the first time in this game.
Not doing much with it, but patience is key here. Better than being constantly under the cosh.
Chelsea 0-0 Tottenham
20:39 , Will Castle37 mins: Spurs haven’t done much down their end of the pitch but they made Sanchez work there, with Son drilling a low delivery to back-post that needed the parry of the Blues keeper. They then get a corner which Sanchez punches clear.
You don’t get the feeling that Chelsea’s defence is exactly water-tight - it may only take the odd break for Spurs to punish their rivals.
Chelsea 0-0 Tottenham
20:37 , Will Castle36 mins: Cucurella does really well to win Chelsea back the ball in the final third, giving to Sancho to try and capitalise in the box.
The winger is unable to make the most of the opportunity though, hitting it against a white shirt to the frustration of the crowd.
Chelsea 0-0 Tottenham
20:34 , Will Castle33 mins: Palmer dummies the shot on the edge of the box and gets slid into by Van de Ven, who runs away with the ball. Chelsea felt it was a foul, but nothing given.
Van de Ven is then thwarted by Caicedo, keeping Chelsea on the attack as Sancho and Palmer combine to win a corner.
Nothing comes from the corner as Spurs look to counter, but well cut out by the back-tracking Blues.
Chelsea 0-0 Tottenham
20:31 , Will Castle30 mins: Tottenham are struggling when playing it out from the back, and get caught again with Jackson looking to break behind.
He fashions the angle just in the box but fires his effort far too high.
Chelsea 0-0 Tottenham
20:30 , Will Castle28 mins: Another inviting Chelsea delivery from the right looks for Palmer but just evades the Englishman.
The Blues then win a corner but it’s a poor one, going all the way over the box and out for a goal-kick.
Chelsea 0-0 Tottenham
20:28 , Will Castle27 mins: Vicario’s kicking has been a major concern for Tottenham so far - yet again he’s just booted it straight back to the Blues and given them possession in a dangerous area.
Keep that up and Spurs will surely be punished.
Chelsea 0-0 Tottenham
20:25 , Will Castle24 mins: Neto whips in an inviting left-footed delivery towards the back post with Palmer and Jackson, but it’s just too high for the Chelsea duo.
Out for a goal-kick.
Chelsea 0-0 Tottenham
20:21 , Will Castle19 mins: CHANCE! How did that not go in?
Cole Palmer gets into the box and instead of letting fly, he opts to play it across to Enzo Fernandez. If the Argentinian gets to this, it’s a tap in.
Destiny Udogie tumbles in to intervene a couple yards out from the goal-line - and with a rolling towards the Tottenham net, Vicario is grateful to smother the loose ball.
Chelsea 0-0 Tottenham
20:16 , Will Castle15 mins: Solanke has a glance at the ref as he tries to meet Bentancur’s cross before hitting the deck, feeling he had been impeded by Chalobah.
Nothing in that, even if it got an appeal from the away end.
Chelsea 0-0 Tottenham
20:15 , Will Castle13 mins: Vicario nearly makes a mess of a Chelsea corner but his defenders get him out of jail.
Nice work from Sancho to force the corner initially.
Chelsea 0-0 Tottenham
20:08 , Will Castle7 mins: Malo Gusto fires a shot from the right against the side-netting - half the crowd think it’s gone in, but alas.
Chelsea 0-0 Tottenham
20:06 , Will Castle4 mins: Tottenham go up the other end and win a corner, nothing comes from it.
Now Caicedo is down injured after a collision with Spence. A moment to breathe after a frantic start.
Chelsea 0-0 Tottenham
20:04 , Will Castle1 min: OFF THE POST! Nearly a nightmare start for Spurs!
A 50-yard straight pass completes splits Tottenham’s centre-backs, allowing Jackson in on goal.
He half gets control of it before Van de Ven tries to tackle and ricochets the ball against Jackson’s shin, which then flies off the post!
Sheer chaos to get things started!
KICK-OFF! Chelsea 0-0 Tottenham
20:01 , Will Castle1 min: KICK-OFF! We’re underway at the Bridge.
Closing in on kick-off
19:50 , Will CastleJust 10 minutes until we get underway at Stamford Bridge.
There may be eight places and 15 points between the two teams, but there’s always an air of hostility when Chelsea and Tottenham lock horns.
It’s a game of serious significance to the former, who will all the points they can get in the fiercely competitive race for Champions League football.
Stay tuned for play-by-play updates from the Bridge.
Arsenal provide Gabriel injury update ahead of Real Madrid clash
19:40 , Will CastleBad news for Chelsea and Tottenham’s common enemy...
Arsenal have been dealt a major blow ahead of their Champions League clash against Real Madrid after Gabriel was ruled out for the rest of the season.
The Gunners confirmed the Brazil defender will require surgery on the hamstring injury he sustained in his side’s 2-1 Premier League against Fulham on Tuesday.
Gabriel, who has starred at the heart of Arsenal’s defence in recent seasons, went down in the 16th minute with the injury and was unable to continue.
Arsenal provide Gabriel injury update ahead of Real Madrid clash
UK set to host Women’s World Cup 2035
19:30 , Jack RathbornThe United Kingdom is set to host the 2035 Women's World Cup after Fifa president Gianni Infantino called its interest as "one valid bid" for those finals.
The UK is now almost certain to host the event for the first time after the deadline passed on Monday.
While the USA looks poised to host the 2031 Women’s World Cup as the sole bid, Infantino confirmed, with Brazil confirmed as the 2027 hosts next.
Enzo Maresca non-committal over Jadon Sancho’s Chelsea future following speculation over clause
19:20 , Will CastleChelsea manager Enzo Maresca has played coy over the future of Jadon Sancho with a decision looming as the winger nears the end of his loan from Manchester United.
Sancho enjoyed a productive start to the season after a one-year switch to the London club, though has faded of late with his goal and assist output falling with Chelsea’s form.
As part of the loan agreement, Chelsea were thought to be obligated to sign the 25-year-old permanently for a fee of around £25m at the end of this campaign.
However, it has been suggested that the club may look to get out of the deal, potentially by paying a portion of that figure to Manchester United with Sancho returning to Old Trafford in the summer.
Enzo Maresca non-committal over Jadon Sancho following speculation over clause
Spurs looking to avenge defeat from last time out
19:10 , Will CastleWe’ll be lucky if we get a repeat of the back-and-forth chaos witnessed last time out between Chelsea and Tottenham.
The Blues recovered from an early two-goal deficit to win 4-3 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Jadon Sancho starring on the night.
Enzo Fernandez added to a Cole Palmer brace to give the Blues and advantage that was too much to overcome, with Heung-min Son’s stoppage time strike proving no more than a consolation.
Two big returns for Chelsea
19:07 , Will CastleThe big news from the line-ups is that Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson are back in the starting XI for Chelsea after spells on the sidelines with injury.
Two huge returns for the Blues in their push for Champions League qualification.
Confirmed line-ups
18:55 , Will CastleChelsea XI: Sanchez; Gusto, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella; Fernandez, Caicedo; Sancho, Palmer, Neto; Jackson.
Tottenham XI: Vicario; Spence, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bergvall, Sarr; Odobert, Maddison, Son; Solanke.
Your Blues to face Spurs! ✊#CFC | #CHETOT pic.twitter.com/zEmXa3EVya
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) April 3, 2025
Your Spurs XI to face Chelsea 🫡
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) April 3, 2025
🔢 @krakenfx pic.twitter.com/acxkDFLyt3
Mauricio Pochettino ‘would like’ Tottenham return and reveals Daniel Levy relationship
18:45 , Will CastleMauricio Pochettino has revealed he wants to return to Tottenham at some stage in the future.
Pochettino was sacked by Tottenham in 2019 after leading Spurs to the Champions League final and three top-three finishes in a row in the Premier League.
He is considered to be the club’s greatest modern day manager but is under contract with the United States through to the 2026 World Cup, a tournament they will host.
Chelsea’s absurd finances are a mess of the Premier League’s making
18:30 , Miguel DelaneyEven by football’s standards, there was considerable shock. WhatsApps immediately went around executives at the news that Chelsea look to have avoided breaching the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules last season by selling their women’s team and other subsidiaries to the club’s parent company.
The Blues announced a £128.4m profit in their financial results for the year ending June 2024, up from an announced pre-tax losses of £90.1m in the first full year under Todd Boehly's Clearlake Capital consortium, with fans increasingly disgruntled with the ownership.
All of the jokes about what they could next sell to themselves don't seem like jokes anymore. A hotel is one thing. But an actual football team? This is what a club is supposed to be about. It’s the entire raison d’etre.
Chelsea’s absurd finances are a mess of the Premier League’s making
Chelsea and Liverpool eye Dean Huijsen as Bournemouth brace for bids
18:15 , Miguel DelaneyChelsea and Liverpool are both aiming to secure the signing of Dean Huijsen this summer, although Real Madrid are monitoring the Spanish centre-half.
The 19-year-old has been one of many Bournemouth revelations this season, as the south-coast club are bracing themselves for huge interest in a good group of inspired signings. Huijsen's situation is made a little simpler, due to the understanding he has a release clause of around £50m.
Both Chelsea and Liverpool have been seeking to sign a new centre-half, and have been simultaneously working on a potential deal to bring the 19-year-old in. While the Stamford Bridge hierarchy are felt to have currently made more progress, Huijsen's future is seen as very much up in the air.
Chelsea and Liverpool eye Dean Huijsen as Bournemouth brace for bids
Prediction: Chelsea to have the edge
18:00 , Will CastleIt was a chaotic match when these two met in December, and both sides’ form has become worse since then, though the hosts are the clear favourites.
The Blues should put in a big performance as they look to take a step closer to Champions League qualification against a rival that they have a good recent record against.
Chelsea 2-1 Tottenham
Odds for tonight's meeting
17:45 , Will CastleChelsea win - 8/13
Draw - 7/2
Tottenham win - 7/2
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Predicted line-ups
17:30 , Will CastleChelsea XI: Sanchez; James, Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella; Fernandez, Caicedo; Sancho, Palmer, Madueke; Jackson.
Tottenham XI: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bentancur, Sarr; Johnson, Maddison, Son; Solanke.
Tottenham team news
17:15 , Will CastleLucas Bergvall missed Sweden’s fixtures in the international break but the Tottenham midfielder is over his illness and may well feature.
While Richarlison is back in training and has an outside chance of involvement, both Dejan Kulusevski and Kevin Danso are a couple of weeks away from a return.
Chelsea team news
17:00 , Will CastleCole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke are all in line to return for Chelsea, with Jackson having been out since February - a presence that has been sorely missed at the top of the pitch.
Romeo Lavia is a doubt after the injury-prone midfielder’s latest setback.
Chelsea have no new injury concerns to report elsewhere, although Marc Guiu and Omari Kellyman remain sidelined with their respective long-term injuries.
Is Chelsea vs Tottenham on TV? Kick-off time, channel and how to watch
16:45 , Will CastleThe match kicks off at 8pm BST on Thursday 3 April at Stamford Bridge in London.
How can I watch it?
The match will be broadcast live in the UK on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, with coverage starting at 7pm.
Chelsea vs Tottenham LIVE
16:30 , Will CastleGood evening and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of Chelsea’s crucial clash against Tottenham in the Premier League.
The Blues began the week in fourth place despite a mixed run form over the last few months, but after Manchester City and Newcastle both picked up wins on Wednesday, they have dropped to sixth ahead of Spurs’s visit.
Any slip up at this point could prove costly in the battle for Champions League quality, with just five points separating Chelsea and 10th-placed Bournemouth ahead of kick-off.
And while Tottenham are enduring a dire season themselves, languishing in 14th, they still possess the quality to hurt their fierce London rivals.
We’ll have all the action and build-up, right here.
