They say bad things come in threes. That was certainly the case for Chelsea on a miserable evening at Stamford Bridge as they lost 2-0 to Tottenham in a game described as “terrible” by Gary Neville.
Spurs had won just one of their previous 36 league visits to Chelsea but dominated Xabi Alonso’s side from start to finish, with an own goal from Mike Penders and a stunning late strike from Mathys Tel securing a deserved victory for Roberto De Zerbi’s side.
To add to their woes, on an evening where the dreary weather matched their performance, Cole Palmer was sent off for a second bookable offense after escaping a straight red card early in the match after colliding with Spurs midfielder Mateus Fernandes.
“Tottenham beat Chelsea. No manager, everything. None of us expected Tottenham to come here and win today, but after 10-15 minutes, that belief started to grow,” said Gary Neville while on commentary duty, in a game that was also described as the worst performance of Xabi Alonso’s short tenure so far.
“Chelsea have been terrible, really. In terms of the ball, they’ve been very short. Nowhere near the level. I’m amazed.”
Chelsea started the game without an established striker due to the sudden absence of regular starter Joao Pedro.
Both Danny Welbeck, who started as a striker in the 3-0 defeat to Brentford when Joao Pedro was also absent, and Estevao were on the bench. Welbeck was not introduced until the 88th minute as Chelsea lost 2-0.
Neville added: “Welbeck must be thinking ‘how can I make a game here?’ The disciplinary problems cost him (Alonso) today, but I don’t think it’s the biggest problem.
“The biggest problem is that Tottenham have come and beaten them. They’ve made them look really ordinary.
“Where Tottenham have absolutely hammered Chelsea is in midfield. Cole Palmer, (Morgan) Rogers, (Jordan) Henderson and (Moises) Caicedo haven’t been able to get anywhere near them. Spurs’ midfield has been running the game.
“They absolutely ran the game. I usually say when the weather is bad and the teams are struggling, knock long. I think it’s crazy.
“But you could see that Chelsea wouldn’t be able to sustain that pressure. Tottenham’s combinations and patterns in midfield were really good.”
Palmer and Chelsea’s general frustration
The frustrations for Chelsea – and Palmer specifically – were clear to see throughout. After being stopped on the counter by a deliberate handball from Fernandes, Palmer tackled the Spurs midfielder as the whistle blew.
The England international then collided with Fernandes, sparking a brawl between the two sides. Sky Sports News understands that the incident was checked and clarified by VAR official John Brooks.
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Should Palmer have seen a straight red earlier for pushing Mateus Fernandes?
“I think that could be a red. If this wasn’t at Stamford Bridge, I think it’s a red,” Neville said at the time of the incident, which ended in Palmer’s first yellow.
Jamie Redknapp said the reaction was “bullying” and out of character for a player usually known for his cool and composed nature.
Just three minutes after Penders’ own goal, the forward then caught Conor Gallagher late and was swiftly shown a second yellow by referee Chris Kavanagh.
“They started to lose their heads. It was frustrating as they couldn’t get any closer,” continued Redknapp. And that spread throughout the team as a whole, not just their talisman Palmer.
Morgan Rogers was also booked for tackling Gallagher, the same player who was in Palmer’s second tackle, in an incident which Neville believed could have reduced Chelsea to nine men.
“I think it’s a red one. I do,” Neville added. “He is absolutely welcome to it without any intention. This is ridiculous from Rogers. They have lost it. Xabi Alonso must remove them.”
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Jamie Redknapp analyzes Palmer’s red card and Morgan Rogers’ card
‘Monumental’ mistake by Penders – but he is their only option
The screamer from Penders, slotting the ball into his own net after failing to take a corner, came on his first start in place of the injured Emiliano Martinez.
After the 1-0 loss, Chelsea was turned upside down. But with Martinez out for the foreseeable future after undergoing facial surgery after breaking his jaw against Everton, the goalkeeper will need to bounce back quickly before facing Liverpool in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, live on Sky Sports.
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Mike Penders hit the ball into his own net
“He made a monumental mistake; it’s as simple as that. The ball goes in and where he goes wrong is that he comes without authority,” Redknapp said.
“He is, to some extent, bullied. There’s hesitation. It’s difficult. It’s got to be character building for him. He’s got to fight within himself.
“They will have to put their arm around him; he will play again next week.
“Of course you’re going to make mistakes, but it’s how you deal with them. He’s got to get on with it and show some character.”
Chelsea sanctioned the loan of Robert Sanchez to Como following the arrival of Martinez from Aston Villa in the summer.
Their other option in goal in the matchday squad against Spurs was 23-year-old Teddy Sharman-Lowe, who spent last season on loan at Bolton and has yet to make a competitive appearance for the Blues.
Gabriel Slonina remains at the club but has not been named in the squad since pre-season.
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WATCH FREE: Highlights from the Premier League clash between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur
The stats behind Chelsea’s horror display against Spurs
- Spurs claimed just their second away win in 35 attempts against Chelsea in the Premier League (11 W22) and their first since April 2018 (3-1).
- Spurs have beaten Chelsea in all competitions at Stamford Bridge keeping a clean sheet for the first time since December 1986 (also 2-0).
- Chelsea failed to score at home in a Premier League derby in London for the second time in their last 17 such games, following a 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace in MD1 last season.
- Chelsea’s Mike Penders (21, 85) is the second youngest goalkeeper to score an own goal in the Premier League, behind Illan Meslier (20, 354) for Leeds against Wolves in February 2021.
- Chelsea have conceded eight goals from set-pieces in the Premier League this season, twice as many as any other team.
- Cole Palmer’s dismissal was Chelsea’s 100th Premier League red card (excluding overturned cards), becoming the third team to reach the milestone after Everton (113) and Arsenal (110).
- Mike Penders became only the second Chelsea goalkeeper to score an own goal in a Premier League game, after Petr Cech against Everton in December 2009.
- Chelsea had just seven attempts against Spurs, their fewest in a Premier League game this season and fewest at home in the competition since January against Brentford (6).
