It was Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham in microcosm. A couple of steps forward; more in the opposite direction. Where it left the manager was the biggest question as Chelsea roared back from 2-0 down to win yet again, surging into second place in the Premier League. They have moved above Arsenal and are only four points behind Liverpool, albeit the leaders have a game in hand. It is becoming increasingly difficult to believe the manager, Enzo Maresca, when he argues that Chelsea are not title contenders. They had so much good stuff here. Above all, they had Cole Palmer.
The TV cameras made the obligatory cut-aways to the Spurs chairman, Daniel Levy, with about 15 minutes to go, inviting everybody to wonder what he will do with Postecoglou, who had said two weeks ago that he would be in trouble if his team were still in mid-table at Christmas. They have only two matches to play before then – away at Southampton; home to Liverpool.
It is not just that they are 11th. One of the main takeaways was how little belief they showed, how the trudge towards defeat felt inevitable. They did manage a late goal for 4-3 from Son Heung-min but it was all over by then.
Assurance is not a problem for Chelsea. Or Palmer. He had already equalised from the penalty spot for 2-2 when he mesmerised Destiny Udogie and three other Spurs defenders on the right before sending over a cross that deflected and found Enzo Fernández, who blasted Chelsea in front.
Spurs had had enough of Palmer; they were driven to distraction. It was the only explanation for why Pape Sarr barged into the back of him on the right-hand side of the area. It was another penalty and Palmer finished with a cold-as-ice Panenka; the ultimate snapshot of Chelsea’s supremacy. Put your house on Palmer. He never misses penalties, despite not practicing them.
Postecoglou had applauded the South Stand at length before kick-off, which felt significant after what had happened between him and the travelling Spurs fans at Bournemouth last Thursday. He needs them behind him. His team would make the dream start, two up after 11 minutes, and yet it never looked like lasting. There would be boos at the full-time whistle but no fan mutiny.
The opening exchanges had been the stuff of nightmares for Chelsea and especially Marc Cucurella, who lost his footing for both of the concessions. First, Brennan Johnson punished him, running away to cross for Dominic Solanke, whose movement was too sharp for Levi Colwill. The second saw Cucurella go over again, Spurs regain possession and Dejan Kulusevski jam a low shot home from the edge of the area. It was the prompt for Cucurella to rush over and change his footwear.
Chelsea never panicked. They never lost the feeling that they would have enough to come back. The first-half was end-to-end, so open and it was no surprise when Chelsea pulled one back. Spurs had been boosted by the returns of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven from injuries; the latter was the surprise. Romero did not last long. He felt something in his thigh in the eighth minute after pulling off a high-risk back-heel inside his own area and he found that he could not continue.
On came Radu Dragusin and he was one of the Spurs defenders who could not get out to the excellent Jadon Sancho as the Chelsea winger sliced inside from the left. Sancho’s low shot was a beauty, shaped into the far corner. Van de Ven would also be forced off before the end, although Postecoglou said it was only tightness.
There was controversy before the interval and we are not talking about the South Standers who threw screwed-up bits of tifo cardboard at Chelsea’s corner-takers, including Palmer. They were told to pack it in at half-time, which was a bit late. Perhaps Palmer took it personally.
Moisés Caicedo was a lucky boy when he followed through hard into Sarr’s lower shin. Anthony Taylor missed the flashpoint and the VAR, Jarred Gillett, deemed there was no serious foul play and therefore no red card. Kulusevski would also get away with an elbow on Romeo Lavia.
Chelsea had the chances to equalise before the break, the big one created by Fernández for Palmer; incredibly, he missed his kick from close-range. Pedro Neto extended Fraser Forster after banging low for the near corner.
Spurs had their first-half opportunities, too. Son curled just past the far top corner. Sarr headed against the crossbar from a Son corner. Solanke could not finish from a low Son cross.
Maresca made a key change for the second-half, Malo Gusto on at right-back, Caicedo into midfield on a full-time basis. Previously, he had been there only in possession. Lavia made way. It was to reconfigure the collective press and how it paid off.
Chelsea piled forward. They could sense vulnerability in Spurs. Everybody could. It was one-way traffic after the restart. Sancho drew an excellent save out of Forster. Fernández bent a shot just wide.
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Spurs lost Johnson to illness and it was clear that the equaliser was coming. Postecoglou’s team were jittery, the stadium a sea of anxiety. When the goal for 2-2 came, it was because of a rush of blood by Yves Bissouma, Palmer’s man-marker.
Bissouma had initially lost the ball on the Spurs left and when Sancho, back on the other side, worked it through for Caicedo, Bissouma leapt in to scythe him down. Palmer did the rest. Spurs would flicker, Son and Van de Ven going close. Unfortunately for them, Palmer had plenty left.
