Chelsea dealt a significant blow to Tottenham’s aspirations of securing a spot in the Champions League by clinching a 2-0 victory over their struggling London counterparts on Thursday.
Trevoh Chalobah broke the deadlock for Chelsea in the first half at Stamford Bridge, marking his first goal since March 2022.
Nicolas Jackson, often criticized throughout his challenging debut season with the Blues, sealed the win with his 14th goal in the closing moments of the match.
Following defeats to Arsenal and Newcastle, Tottenham, currently occupying the fifth position, suffered their third consecutive loss, widening the gap to seven points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa.
With four games remaining for Tottenham and three for Villa, the odds are stacked against the North Londoners to clinch a top-four finish in the Premier League.
This latest defeat marks yet another painful setback for Tottenham, undoing much of the goodwill earned during Ange Postecoglou’s debut season in charge.
“We lacked belief and conviction in our game,” Postecoglou said. “I don’t know if it is low confidence but we are not playing with the mindset we need.
“It wasn’t good enough and I have to take responsibility for that. It is on me.”
As Postecoglou regroups after the defeat, Chelsea’s manager Mauricio Pochettino savored his second victory over his former team this season, adding to the 4-1 triumph in November.
Pochettino’s candid admission that he couldn’t “hide his emotions” for the club he guided for five years, including a memorable run to the 2019 Champions League final, had irked Chelsea fans. However, he set aside those sentiments to deliver the desired outcome, keeping alive Chelsea’s hopes of European qualification. The win also extended Chelsea’s impressive record at home against Tottenham to just one defeat in 34 league games.
“The first half was fantastic. Then you have to contain and suffer. Tottenham have quality players. All credit to the players. They really showed the way we want to build this,” Pochettino said.
Postecoglou didn’t hold back in criticizing Tottenham’s lackluster display in their 3-2 loss to Arsenal on Sunday. He reacted by implementing five changes, including the inclusion of Richarlison while dropping James Maddison from the starting lineup.
However, in what marked Pochettino’s 400th match in English football, the Chelsea manager ought to have been celebrating a goal within the first five minutes of the game.
Jackson surged into the Tottenham area, unleashing a shot that slipped under Guglielmo Vicario but lacked the necessary power to beat Mickey van de Ven’s clearance off the line. Cole Palmer found himself with the loose ball but somehow scooped it over from close-range.
Shortly after, Chelsea’s winger Noni Madueke embarked on an electrifying run, only to fire just over from the edge of the area.
Tottenham, having conceded four of their last five goals from set-pieces in previous matches, suffered again due to poor dead-ball marking. In the 24th minute, Conor Gallagher’s free-kick floated into the area, with Chalobah left unmarked to execute a superb header over Vicario from 12 yards out. This marked the 22nd goal conceded from set plays by Postecoglou’s defense this season.
Despite Tottenham’s claims that Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella impeded Brennan Johnson’s marking of Chalobah, VAR dismissed their protests.
However, Tottenham nearly capitalized on Chelsea’s defensive lapses, as Cristian Romero’s header from Pedro Porro’s free-kick clipped the post.
Postecoglou’s frustration was evident by halftime, and his players responded with a more spirited display in the second half. Porro’s drive from a tight angle forced Djordje Petrovic into a save, representing Tottenham’s most threatening moment.
Yet, Chelsea landed the decisive blow in the 72nd minute. Palmer’s fierce free-kick ricocheted off the bar towards Jackson, who reacted quickest to head home from six yards out.
