Chelsea’s last Premier League outing was a heartbreaking 1-0 loss at The Emirates Stadium. Their next assignment was yet another derby against a North London opponent. Chelsea vs Tottenham was on the schedule. Being the home team would theoretically work in The Blues’ favor. They’ve won their last four games there. Chelsea beat Tottenham Hotspurs by the same margin. Beyond the result, here’s what Chelsea vs Tottenham taught us.
Palmer Is Key
The return of Cole Palmer, along with Nicholas Jackson, brought renewed hope and a sense of familiarity to the Chelsea lineup. Palmer’s clever runs, incisive passing, and shots at goal had been sorely missed against Arsenal. His partner up front was much less of a threat but Jackson did have a first-minute chance. Tottenham’s own returning long-term absentee Micky Van der Ven almost scored an own goal on the play.
Chelsea vs Tottenham Can Be Spicy
The game was littered with bust-ups and the number of yellow cards issued rose into double figures. When you have combustible characters like Marc Cucurella and James Maddison on the field, things can always boil over. Moisés Caicedo suffered an early knock delivered by an overzealous Jed Spencer and looked like he was being subbed off. Blues fans breathed a sigh of relief when he soldiered on. Chelsea vs Tottenham lived up to its billing in this regard.
Time Up For Sancho
Before Enzo Fernandez settled the game, Jadon Sancho came the closest to opening the scoring. His close-range volley was tipped over the bar by Spurs No. 1 Guglielmo Vicario. Other than that moment, the ex-Manchester United winger was frustrating to watch from a Blues perspective. His signature move, cutting in from the left flank, has become as predictable as tax season. Even when it works, he can’t give it an end product.
VAR Is a Scam
The amount of time the officials took to conclude VAR reviews poured cold water on a nicely boiling encounter of Chelsea vs Tottenham. The on-field ref stared at the replay of Caicedo’s knee being kicked by Pape Mater Sarr for an age. Anyone with a pair of functioning eyes would have spotted the foul in two seconds and disallowed Sarr’s goal. Semi-automated VAR can’t come soon enough. We need an end to the drudgery of watching officials draw lines and scratch their heads over clear calls.
Champions League Spots Are Still Up For Grabs
The Chelsea vs Tottenham result boosted Chelsea to the fourth spot. Their place in next season’s UEFA Champions League is far from assured. Manchester City is just one point behind them. Newcastle is a further point behind at sixth but they have played a game less. With eight games still left to play, even Aston Villa and Brighton Hove & Albion are in with a shot. They are ninth and 10th on the table but can close the four-point gap and dislodge any other UCL contender.
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