Mauricio Pochettino had a victorious homecoming at Tottenham as Chelsea, his former club, found themselves with only nine players in a tumultuous and contentious evening.
The Argentine’s return was overshadowed by a remarkable match that featured five goals, five more that were disallowed, two red cards, and a barrage of VAR decisions in one of the most frantic encounters ever witnessed in the Premier League.
Tottenham began the game in impressive fashion, taking a well-deserved lead when Dejan Kulusevski’s sixth-minute shot deflected off Chelsea defender Levi Colwill. Son Heung-min then saw his effort narrowly ruled out for offside as the home side aimed to make the most of their early dominance.
Amid an intense atmosphere, Chelsea had two goals disallowed, with Raheem Sterling and Moises Caicedo each having their efforts ruled out for handball and offside, respectively.
The latter incident led to a Chelsea goal, as a penalty was given due to a rough tackle by Romero on his compatriot Enzo Fernandez. Subsequently, the Spurs defender was rightfully shown a red card.
Chelsea’s new signing, Cole Palmer, converted the resulting penalty to even the score. The Spurs faced additional setbacks as key defender Micky van de Ven suffered what appeared to be a severe hamstring injury, and James Maddison had to be substituted due to an ankle problem, both occurring before halftime.
The situation for Spurs worsened when Destiny Udogie was shown a red card ten minutes into the second half due to a shockingly reckless tackle on Sterling. This earned him a second yellow card from referee Michael Oliver.
Amid the chaos, Ange Postecoglou, who also received a yellow card while on the Spurs bench, took a gamble by maintaining a high defensive line even with only nine players. However, Chelsea eventually managed to breach their defense with 15 minutes remaining, as Raheem Sterling broke free and set up Nicolas Jackson for an easy goal.
The game remained far from over, and Spurs came close to securing a remarkable draw. Eric Dier had a superb finish disallowed for a marginal offside, and Rodrigo Bentancur narrowly missed a header after breaking through Chelsea’s defensive line during a late free-kick.
In stoppage time, Jackson added two more goals to complete a late hat-trick, making the final scoreline much more comfortable for the visiting team than the evening had initially suggested.
Lack of discipline costs Spurs on night which promised so much
Before the game, Spurs fans were in high spirits, contemplating the prospect of reclaiming the top spot in the Premier League. However, their aspirations were shattered in a remarkable, action-packed match.
The match got off to a promising start with Kulusevski’s goal. Nonetheless, Spurs suffered the consequences of Romero’s reckless behavior, as he was fortunate not to receive a red card earlier for a kick aimed at Colwill. His fate was sealed when he unnecessarily followed through on Fernandez.
Udogie, too, escaped an earlier red card and was fortunate in that regard. However, his eventual dismissal came as a result of a reckless challenge on Sterling. The Italian international left the referee, Michael Oliver, with no alternative when he lunged at the same player early in the second half.
Postecoglou took a risk by persisting with the high defensive line and had goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario playing the role of an emergency sweeper on multiple occasions. Just when Chelsea appeared to be growing frustrated, Spurs’ defense was finally breached, allowing Jackson to complete his hat-trick.
Beyond the immediate setback of this loss, Spurs now face enduring consequences stemming not only from the suspensions of Romero and Udogie but also from the injuries sustained by Van de Ven and Maddison.
At the final whistle, Spurs fans showed their appreciation for their team’s efforts with an enthusiastic reception, but it was undeniably a painful night that could prove to be quite costly in the long term.
Chelsea and Jackson take a big opportunity
Chelsea took their time to breach the nine-man Spurs defense, but they eventually succeeded, with Senegalese striker Nicolas Jackson reaping the rewards.
Even before Romero displayed recklessness, Pochettino’s team was slowly making their presence felt in the game. However, once Romero and Udogie were sent off, Chelsea knew that anything less than a victory was out of the question.
The home team came remarkably close to securing a draw, holding on until just 15 minutes remained before Sterling and Jackson managed to solve the defensive puzzle. This night could be a significant moment for the 22-year-old striker, who has been a work in progress since his move to Stamford Bridge in the summer. He confidently converted three opportunities and left the field with the match ball, basking in the cheers of Chelsea’s delighted fans.
Pochettino is well aware that this victory wasn’t achieved under typical circumstances, but he will also seek to leverage it as a stepping stone following a somewhat average beginning to the season.