Chelsea secure a 1-0 win over London rivals Tottenham Hotspur as they push for a place in Europe next season. The Blues have been inconsistent since December which has drastically affected their top four charge.
Chelsea, who were once seen as title contenders, struggled to secure three points in previous games and solidify their race for Champions League football.
Losses to Fulham, Ipswich, Brighton and Aston Villa did a lot of damage to their good form. To make matters worse, injuries to Jackson, Madueke and recently, Cole Palmer added more salt to injury.
The derby against Tottenham was a must-win with Newcastle and Manchester City hot on their heels. Enzo Maresca had a big boost as Jackson, Palmer and Madueke were all available for selection. The addition of these players couldn’t have come at a better time for the Blues.
From kickoff, Chelsea fired on all cylinders. Jackson showed once again why he was Chelsea’s main striker, bearing down on goal from a sublime overhead pass. The Senegalese forward almost put the Blues in front under one minute of action after his effort skimmed off the post. From then on, it was all Chelsea.
Jackson had another effort saved in the first half while Jadon Sancho forced a good save from Vicario in the dying minutes of the first half.
Tottenham were lucky to survive the first half without conceding. Their luck did run out in the second half as Chelsea got the much needed breakthrough.
Five minutes into the second half, Palmer’s delightful cross finds the head of Enzo Fernandez to give Chelsea the lead. 10 minutes later, Caicedo made it two but a lengthy VAR review ruled out the goal for offside.
There was a bit of drama after Sarr thought he had pulled Tottenham level. The Tottenham midfielder rifled a long range shot past Sanchez to level the game but VAR once again intervened. The goal was ruled out due to a foul on Caicedo in the build-up.
The match was filled with tension but the referee, Craig Pawson was firmly in charge of proceedings. Both teams received 5 yellow cards apiece leading to a total of 10 yellow cards.
The Blues threatened with back to back chances but Vicario delivered heroic saves to keep his team in the tie.
With minutes to go, Tottenham mustered a last gasp chance and they almost leveled the game. Substitute Brennan Johnson drilled in a low pass to find the run of Son. The Spurs captain at full stretch swept the ball towards the goal only to be denied by Sanchez who was diving at full stretch. That save brought relief to the home fans but for the traveling fans, it was groans of agony and frustration.
With this win over Tottenham, Enzo Maresca’s side are back in the top four. The race for Champions League will heat up in the coming weeks and Chelsea will have to dig deep to retain their hold on top 4.
For now, they can take the confidence from this victory into their next match against Brentford as they continue the push for European qualification.
