Premier League: Chelsea 2 Tottenham Hotspur 0
Ange Postecoglou says he does not care about the questions being asked about Tottenham’s inability to defend securely from set pieces. The manager believes he will get it right. But he could not avoid another hail of them as his team slumped to a third defeat on the spin, their season in increasing danger of fizzling out.
It was Chelsea’s night, this a victory to fire their hopes of a Europa League finish to a remorselessly testing season. They were excellent in the first half, Spurs so poor that Postecoglou howled in frustration on a number of occasions. It was difficult to remember seeing him so unhappy.
And, after what had happened in Sunday’s derby defeat at home to Arsenal, there was a certain inevitability about how Spurs were unhinged. Arsenal had profited by using Ben White as a blocker on the goalkeeper, Guglielmo Vicario. Here, it was Marc Cucurella setting a screen that took out Brennan Johnson and enabled Trevoh Chalobah to head Chelsea into a 24th-minute lead.
It was the 15th set-piece goal that Spurs have conceded in the Premier League this season and number 16 would condemn them to defeat on 72 minutes. Cole Palmer’s free-kick beat Vicario and crashed down off the underside of the crossbar, Nicolas Jackson reacting sharply to loop the rebound home with his head. Only three teams in the league have conceded more goals from set pieces.
Kevin Kilbane: Hallgrímsson taking the first steps to making Ireland competitive again
Ange Postecoglou says some of the criticism he receives is offensive and disrespectful
Pep Guardiola rules out dropping Erling Haaland as Manchester City struggle for form
Irish Times Sportswoman of the Year Awards: ‘The greatest collection of women in Irish sport in one place ever assembled’
And so Mauricio Pochettino could celebrate on the occasion of his 400th game as the manager of an English club. Spurs were simply left to conduct more soul-searching.
The game had fallen on the eighth anniversary of the Battle of the Bridge when a Spurs team managed by Pochettino had seen their title hopes die in a 2-2 draw – amid a hail of yellow card and all-out enmity.
It is a fixture that normally stirs the passions – how about Chelsea’s 4-1 win at nine-man Spurs last November? – and there was a pointed moment before kick-off when a group of home fans unfurled a giant banner of Conor Gallagher. “Chelsea since birth,” read the caption. The subtext: Do not sell him in the summer. Especially not to Spurs.
It is easy to see why Postecoglou would want Gallagher. No player has made more ball recoveries in the final third than him in this season’s Premier League; he would be ideal for Ange-ball. Gallagher was behind plenty of Chelsea’s good moments during a one-sided first half, beginning with when he robbed Pape Sarr, leading to Mykhailo Mudryk releasing Jackson up the inside left for the first big chance.
Jackson had Vicario to beat and although the goalkeeper got something in the way of the shot, the ball was rolling in until Micky van de Ven got back to clear from in front of the line. The clearance was blasted at Palmer, who could not react in time, the ball going off his boot and over the crossbar.
Postecoglou would rage at regular intervals during the first half. Chelsea dominated, Gallagher setting a high bar with his hustle; Noni Madueke and Mudryk menacing on the wings. Spurs were so loose with their passing, especially when they tried to build from the back. Where was the structure? Or the composure? There would be boos from the travelling supporters upon the half-time whistle.
The breakthrough had been advertised, Alfie Gilchrist and Madueke going close with shots, and it had to be a set piece, one that involved a Spurs player being blocked off. When Gallagher sent over a deep free-kick, Cucurella got in Johnson’s way, allowing Chalobah a run at a header, which he guided expertly over Vicario. Cucurella was both onside and not committing an obvious enough foul – in the view of the VAR.
Chelsea could have been out of sight, Mudryk curling inches past the far post on 33 minutes before Spurs stirred. Cristian Romero headed just wide from a Pedro Porro free-kick and there were flickers from Sarr and Johnson. The former almost got in only to be thwarted by a Chalobah block.
Pochettino has had serious injury problems this season but never as bad as those here, the number of casualties numbering 14. Postecoglou, dealing with issues of his own, had been forced to play Emerson Royal out of position at left back. He had recalled Yves Bissouma and dropped James Maddison.
It was not difficult to imagine the half-time inquest inside the Spurs dressingroom. Their players went into a huddle on the pitch before the restart and they emerged with renewed drive and purpose. It was Spurs who pressed on to the front foot in the second half, Chelsea sinking deeper, looking to land their punches on the counter. Palmer curled high with his left foot when well-placed and miscued with his right after tricking past Emerson.
Postecoglou rejigged his entire midfield, introducing Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, Rodrigo Bentancur and Maddison, and Spurs continued to hint at something, knitting together some promising moves, without creating anything clear cut.
They were floored by Chelsea’s second goal, the feeling that it would not be their night gathering steam when Johnson missed a glorious chance at the other end almost immediately for 2-1. Spurs would finish with a flurry of pressure in stoppage-time. It was too little, too late. Most of their supporters had long since departed. – Guardian
- Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Find The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Listen to our Inside Politics podcast for the best political chat and analysis
