In a dramatic encounter, chaos reigned in North London as Chelsea secured a 4-1 victory over Tottenham, ending Ange Postecoglou’s unbeaten start as a Premier League manager. The match was controversial, featuring five disallowed goals, two red cards, and extending to the third-longest game of the season, lasting 111 minutes and 19 seconds.
Chelsea vs. Tottenham:
Tottenham entered the match needing a win to return to the top of the Premier League table, and they wasted no time asserting their dominance. Since Postecoglou’s appointment, Tottenham had become known for their relentless attacking style. It took just 321 seconds for them to take the lead, with Dejan Kulusevski’s goal, albeit with a fortunate deflection off Levi Colwill, leaving Chelsea’s goalkeeper, Robert Sánchez, with no chance.
However, what appeared to be a promising start for Spurs quickly turned into a tumultuous affair. A disallowed goal by Son Heung-Min due to an offside decision marked a turning point in the game. Chelsea then surged forward, inspired by a heated challenge from Destiny Udogie, who escaped a red card despite a dangerous two-footed tackle on Raheem Sterling.
Following the disallowed goal, an offside decision denied Moisés Caicedo his first Chelsea goal after a remarkable long-range strike. VAR’s review revealed a wild challenge from Cristian Romero on fellow Argentine Enzo Fernández in the build-up to Caicedo’s strike. Romero received a red card, and Chelsea was awarded a penalty, which Cole Palmer converted to level the score.
The first half got even worse for Spurs, as two key players, Micky van de Ven and James Maddison, sustained injuries quickly. Van de Ven’s hamstring couldn’t cope with the pace of Nicolas Jackson, and Maddison left the field with a knock. The first half finally concluded after 56 minutes and 26 seconds, with only about half of that time seeing the ball in play.
The second half saw more drama unfold, with Destiny Udogie, who had already avoided a red card earlier in the match, joining Romero in an early exit after another foul on Sterling. Astonishingly, after substituting on the hour mark, Spurs had only four starting XI players remaining on the field: Vicario, Son, Bissouma, and Pedro Porro.
Despite their two red cards, these four and the five substitutes performed admirably to thwart Chelsea’s relentless attacks. Spurs’ high defensive line was a risky strategy against Chelsea’s swift attack, but it paid off until Sterling broke through the line, assisting Jackson in scoring with 15 minutes remaining.
Jackson’s crucial goal set the stage for his remarkable hat-trick, which he completed in added time. The Senegalese striker had been criticized for finishing, scoring only twice out of 4.7 expected goals (xG) in his Premier League career before this match.
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This defeat marked the end of Ange Postecoglou’s remarkable 52-game unbeaten home league run as a manager, which began in November 2020 while he was in charge of Yokohama F. Marinos in the Japanese top flight.
After the match, several noteworthy statistics and facts emerged:
Tottenham suffered their first defeat in 12 games this season, making them the last to lose in the Premier League.
Chelsea secured their 15th Premier League away win over Tottenham, the most by any team at Spurs’ stadium.
Tottenham’s Cristian Romero has received four red cards since his debut season in 2021-22, more than any other player in all competitions for a Premier League team. He has also conceded more penalties than all but three players in the league.
Mauricio Pochettino became the fourth manager to beat Tottenham in the Premier League after previously managing the club in the competition.
In his 43rd game in charge of a home league, Ange Postecoglou lost for the first time in England or Scotland.
Cole Palmer is the first Chelsea player to score his first three Premier League goals, all from the penalty spot.
Nicolas Jackson scored three goals in the match, more than he managed in his previous nine Premier League appearances. It was also his first-ever hat-trick in the big five European leagues.
At 22 years and 139 days, Nicolas Jackson became Chelsea’s third-youngest hat-trick scorer in the Premier League.
Tottenham saw two players sent off in a home Premier League game for the first time and only the fourth time at any venue in the competition’s history.
Dejan Kulusevski became the seventh Swedish player to reach double figures for goals in the Premier League.
Spurs’ Premier League debut goal against Chelsea was their fastest ever.
Raheem Sterling has been involved in 178 Premier League goals since his debut in 2012, ranking among the top players in that category.
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