Tottenham's Premier League hopes shattered in chaotic derby loss to Chelsea
Posted : 07 November 2023
Tottenham Hotspur's hopes of reclaiming the top spot in the Premier League were shattered in a dramatic London derby against Chelsea, which ended 4-1 in favor of the visitors, largely due to Nicolas Jackson's stunning hat-trick. The match unfolded in a chaotic manner, marked by a series of contentious VAR decisions, fraying tempers, and disallowed goals, culminating in Tottenham finishing the game with only nine players.
Tottenham, previously unbeaten, took an early lead in the sixth minute when Dejan Kulusevski's shot, deflected off a Chelsea player, found the back of the net. However, just moments later, they had a second goal from Son Heung-min disallowed for offside.
In a turn of events reminiscent of the infamous "Battle of the Bridge" in 2016 when Chelsea derailed Mauricio Pochettino's Tottenham's title hopes, the hosts' night quickly unraveled. Center back Cristian Romero was shown a red card after a VAR review for a dangerous tackle that resulted in a penalty, which Cole Palmer converted. Spurs also suffered injuries to their defensive partner, Micky van de Ven, and playmaker James Maddison before halftime.
Destiny Udogie received a second yellow card, leaving Tottenham with a reduced squad and hanging on desperately for a point. Chelsea capitalized on their numerical advantage, with Jackson scoring from close range in the 75th minute, a goal that survived another VAR check for offside.
Tottenham thought they had equalized with a goal by substitute Eric Dier, but it was ruled out for offside. In stoppage time, Son's effort was saved by Chelsea's goalkeeper, Robert Sanchez, before Jackson sealed the victory with two added-time goals.
This defeat, the first in the Premier League for Tottenham under manager Ange Postecoglou, leaves them in second place with 26 points from 11 games, one point behind defending champions Manchester City. Chelsea's win lifted them to 10th place with 15 points.
Tottenham had been enjoying their best start to a top-flight season since 1960, and Postecoglou was the first manager to go unbeaten in his first 10 Premier League games. However, this chaotic match ended their unbeaten streak in a dramatic fashion.
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