Amongst the 50 teams that have ever played in the Premier League, London has the largest number of teams that have been in the Premier League. This means London local derbies are the most common in the Premier League and the Chelsea vs Tottenham fixture has been one of the most feisty over the years.
In their shared history, these two clubs have faced each other 176 times. The Blues have won 78 of these meetings, with Tottenham triumphing over their London rivals 55 times.
The first meeting between these two London giants was in a 2-1 Chelsea win in the league in 1909 at Stamford Bridge, but the rivalry became fierce in the 1967 FA Cup final, which was also the first all-London FA Cup final. This was dubbed the “Cockney Cup Final,” and Tottenham won it in front of an attendance of 100,000 people.
Chelsea’s Dominance In The Rivalry
From the 90s to the early years of the 21st century, Chelsea dominated Tottenham both at Stamford Bridge and White Hart Lane in the league. Within this period, the Blues recorded a 6-1 win at White Hart Lane in the Premier League in 1997.
On the 5th of November 2006, under Martin Jol, Tottenham recorded their first victory over the Blues in the league in 16 years. Defender Michael Dawson had canceled out Claude Makelele’s opener before Aaron Lennon completed the turnaround.
One FA Cup clash between these clubs in 2007 saw fight erupt on the streets of London where up to 10 fans got stabbed. José Mourinho and Roman Abramovich stoked the rivalry even further in 2013 when Chelsea swooped in and stole Willian from Tottenham, when Spurs had already locked in a deal with the Brazilian.
From then until the Brazilian left in 2020, these two teams faced each other 18 times in all competitions, with the Blues being victorious 10 times and losing five times. During that same time, Chelsea won at White Hart Lane twice and lost for the first time to Tottenham at Stamford Bridge in 2018.
The Battle of the Bridge
In the 2015-16 season, Mourinho’s side started the league season with a red card and a draw, and it went downhill from there. After losing nine of sixteen games and languishing in 14th position, Mourinho was sacked.
Meanwhile, Tottenham was having the best season with Mauricio Pochettino as head coach. At the time, both sides met for the first time that season in White Hart Lane, and Tottenham was on a 12-match unbeaten run. That season saw a title battle unfold between Tottenham and Leicester City.
The infamous Battle of the Bridge took place on the 2nd of May 2016. Tottenham needed nothing less than a win in Stamford Bridge to keep their Premier League title hopes alive. On the other hand, Chelsea had nothing much to fight for. The game began with Tottenham racing to a two-goal lead with goals from Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min. A brash tackle from Danny Rose on Willian sparked fireworks that continued into the second half.
In the second half, the Blues came out like a team who had something to prove. With Eden Hazard introduced at the break, Gary Cahill equalised for them before Diego Costa and Hazard combined to peg Tottenham level. This added to the frustration on the pitch, because a draw meant Leicester City would become champions immediately.
In the first half, during the second half, and even after the final whistle, fights kept erupting from every corner, resulting in nine yellow cards being shown to players from both teams. The FA ended up fining both clubs a combined £605,000 for failing to control their players. Mousa Dembele even earned a six-match suspension for poking Diego Costa in the eyes.
Pochettino’s Return To The Premier League
On the 29th of May, 2023, Pochettino was announced by Chelsea’s new management as their third managerial hire after firing Champions League-winning Thomas Tuchel on the 7th of September, 2022. Pochettino resumed on the 1st of July, 2023. It marked his return to London but with Tottenham’s fierce rival.
One can only wonder how he feels whenever he comes out of the dugout as a Chelsea manager, remembering that the time he lost his best opportunity to win the league was at the hands of his current employer.
His time at his second London club has received mixed reviews due to the inconsistent nature of the team’s results. Some fans and pundits have praised his management and blamed the relatively inexperienced nature of the squad, injuries and the club’s hierarchy, while others have faulted his tactics amongst other things.
Under him, although the Stamford Bridge club has underperformed, they have managed to fare better than the previous season which was the club’s worst season ever where they finished 12th and only gathered 44 points from 38 games. The club has amassed four more points than they did last season in five less games and sit three positions above their last league finish.
On Thursday, 2nd of May, the Premier League will be treated to the 177th meeting between these two London rivals. The stakes may not be as high as they were in 2016, but that has never stopped sparks from flying whenever these two meet, and fans of both clubs, as well as neutrals, can expect another Battle of the Bridge.
About the Author
Ebenezer has been an avid writer for over a decade and a half. Within that period, he has garnered experience in various fields such as editing, graphics design, transcribing, sales, data analysis, and football management.
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