Chelsea Prevail in London Derby

Chelsea continued their incredible winning streak vs Tottenham yesterday in a 1-0 win, Joao Pedro’s first half goal was enough to seal the win for the Blues to make it 5 straight wins vs the Lilywhites. Chelsea dominated the game with 15 shots and 9 on target in stark contrast to Tottenham mustering only 3 shots throughout the match and accumulating a grand total of 0.05xG, their lowest ever tally since xG records began.

Enzo Maresca shuffled the pack again vs Tottenham, restoring the more regular starters into the XI after resting most of them vs Wolves in their 4-3 EFL Cup win. Reece James, Marc Cucurella, Joao Pedro and notably Wesley Fofana were amongst the names in the starting eleven at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Thomas Frank also made changes from Spurs’ 2-0 loss vs Newcastle in the Cup. Randall Kolo Muani, Micky Van De Ven and Guglielmo Vicario replaced Richarlison, Xavi Simmons and Antonin Kinsky.

The London Derby kicked off with an immediate tempo, though the opening minutes were marked more by both teams sizing each other up than outright chances. However, an early and unfortunate incident disrupted Spurs’ initial rhythm. In the 7th minute, young midfielder Lucas Bergvall was forced to withdraw from the match after sustaining a head injury, having been struck by the ball. This necessitated an early substitution, with Xavi Simons entering the fray to replace him. The forced change, coming so early in the contest, inevitably impacted the home side’s planned strategy.

The match remained a midfield battle with Chelsea asserting greater control of possession and building the more consistent threat. The first significant opportunity fell to the visitors just after the half-hour mark. In the 31st minute, determined pressing by Alejandro Garnacho successfully diverted a pass into the path of Joao Pedro inside the penalty area. Pedro struck a first-time shot, but Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario was quickly off his line to make a crucial save with his legs. Spurs responded quickly, attempting to test the Chelsea defence, but Mohammed Kudus’ effort from outside the box sailed high in the 32nd minute.

The breakthrough arrived moments later, stemming directly from a calamitous error in the Tottenham defence. In the 34th minute, Chelsea’s intense midfield press paid dividends. Moises Caicedo first tackled Djed Spence, then harried Xavi Simons, forcing him to pass back to Micky van de Ven. Caicedo’s relentless pressure continued, and he dispossessed the Spurs defender inside the box, and managed to poke the ball through to Joao Pedro, who slotted the ball home from close range for the opener.

The visitors could have doubled their advantage before the break. In the 43rd minute, a great cross from the right flank by Malo Gusto found Joao Pedro once more. His powerful first-time half-volley was struck well, but Vicario showcased his reflexes again, palming the ball up and over the crossbar with a stunning save. As the first half drew to a close, a moment of confrontation led to the referee brandishing two yellow cards in quick succession during the six minutes of stoppage time. Rodrigo Bentancur was booked for a late, rough challenge on Reece James , and Trevoh Chalobah also entered the book. Spurs had one final sight of goal in the 6th minute of first half extra time when Mohammed Kudus forced a good save from Chelsea keeper Robert Sanchez, but the score remained 0-1 at the interval.

The second half began with Spurs still struggling to find composure. Frustration began to boil over as Chelsea’s attackers continued to cause problems. In the 59th minute, Xavi Simons was booked for a cynical foul on Garnacho. Spurs manager, sensing the need for a spark and greater defensive solidity, made a double substitution shortly after, with Cristian Romero and Richarlison replacing Danso and Bentancur.

The substitutions failed to immediately shift the momentum, leading Chelsea to continue their patient build-up play. Chelsea then made their first change in the 66th minute, bringing on Jamie Gittens for Alejandro Garnacho. Two minutes later, in the 68th minute, Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez was shown a yellow card. In the 73rd minute, Thomas Frank enacted a triple change in, withdrawing Randal Kolo Muani, Pedro Porro, and the earlier substitute Simons, for Brennan Johnson, Destiny Udogie, and Wilson Odobert.

Despite the fresh legs, Chelsea still created the clearer chances. In the 74th minute, Pedro Neto’s powerful drive from a tight angle once again forced a parried save from the hard-working Vicario. Spurs frustration manifested again when Mohammed Kudus was cautioned for a barge on Cucurella in the 75th minute. Chelsea sought to consolidate their lead and protect their fullbacks by replacing Malo Gusto with Romeo Lavia in the 76th minute , and later replacing Pedro Neto with Estevao in the 85th minute. Spurs only managed a weak, wayward effort in the 87th minute when Mohammed Kudus looped a shot straight into the arms of Sanchez.

As the match entered its closing stages, Chelsea made their final substitution, with Tosin Adarabioyo replacing Wesley Fofana in the 89th minute. The final moments of stoppage time saw a flurry of dramatic chances for Chelsea to put the game beyond doubt. In the 3rd minute of stoppage time, a quick Chelsea break culminated in substitute Jamie Gittens missing a glorious opportunity, firing his shot high over the bar from a promising position inside the box. Seconds later, in the 4th minute, Joao Pedro had a final chance for his brace, but Vicario capped an excellent individual performance with a final, stunning, point-blank save. Despite the late drama, the score remained 0-1, securing a deserved away win for Chelsea. The win takes Chelsea to 5th, level on points with Spurs but below them on goal difference.