For 76 minutes on Saturday evening, Chelsea against Tottenham looked like one of those rain-soaked London derbies that would be remembered for nothing much. Then a corner, a punch and a barge turned it into a night Spurs supporters will talk about for years. Tottenham won 2-0 at Stamford Bridge, only their second league victory there in 36 years, and Roberto De Zerbi finally had the evidence for the change he has been demanding.
It was also a miserable evening for Xabi Alonso. Chelsea lost a home league match for the first time this season, according to BBC Sport, and they will go to Anfield for Wednesday's Carabao Cup tie against Liverpool without Cole Palmer, who was sent off with 10 minutes left.
A young keeper, a corner and a red card
Mike Penders, 21, was making his first league start for Chelsea after Emi Martínez fractured his jaw against Everton. He saved from Omar Marmoush after Andy Robertson's cross and then dived at the feet of Mathys Tel, as the club's own match report noted. Alonso was also without João Pedro, injured in training on Friday, so Morgan Rogers played as a false nine.
Antonín Kinský was just as busy at the other end, keeping out Palmer, Jordan Henderson and Pedro Neto. Spurs had the ball, though: BBC Sport's figures gave them 68.5% of possession and 15 shots to Chelsea's seven, with four on target each.
The game turned on a flashpoint around the 70-minute mark. Mateus Fernandes fell and grabbed the ball to stop a Chelsea break, and Palmer barged him back to the turf while he was on his knees. Football London reported that yellow cards followed for Fernandes, Palmer, Micky van de Ven and De Zerbi himself.
On 77 minutes, Fernandes swung in a corner, Jan Paul van Hecke challenged Penders, and the goalkeeper's hand sent the ball into his own net. Three minutes later Palmer caught Conor Gallagher late and referee Chris Kavanagh showed him a second yellow card.
Tel finished it on 87 minutes. He picked the ball up in his own half on the left, ran past two defenders and drilled a low shot from about 25 yards into the bottom corner. "It's very special, because we came here a lot of times and didn't get a win," he told reporters afterwards, as quoted by Reuters via Al Jazeera.
Why the record matters
BBC Sport counted one Tottenham win in their previous 36 league visits to Stamford Bridge, with 11 draws and 24 defeats. The only success in that run came on 1 April 2018, when Mauricio Pochettino's side won 3-1 against Antonio Conte's Chelsea.
De Zerbi said the bad record was "the last problem we fought before the game". He traced the turnaround to a squad meeting, "removing the mask and speaking honestly, clearly in front of ourselves". "We are a top club in the Premier League. We must show personality," he added.
To BBC Match of the Day he put it more simply: "You have to run, you have to fight, you have to arrive first to the second ball. You have to win the duels and we did." He singled out his wide men: "I think we won the game with two wingers, Kudus and Mathys, they made the difference."
Spurs have now won back-to-back league games, after Monday's 3-1 win over Coventry gave them a first league victory of the season, and they climbed to 12th.
Alonso's problems and the Maddison worry
Alonso did not hide from it. "First half I wanted more intensity. We wanted high pressing but we were not strong enough in duels," he told the BBC. "One key moment was the first goal." He backed Penders ("We will support Mike. We come together from these moments") but admitted the opener "affected a bit our emotional control". On Palmer's red he said he had to check the incident, and told Sky Sports he had not seen it.
Chelsea began the weekend fourth, but The Guardian's live coverage noted that Liverpool, Brentford and Leeds can all climb above them on Sunday. A win would have taken them level on points with third-placed Brighton.
Tottenham's one worry is James Maddison. He scored on his first start since May 2025 against Coventry, but went off early in the second half here. Sky Sports reported a groin problem, and The Standard said he would have a scan on Sunday. "I hope it's not a big problem because he's a special player for us. We need him," De Zerbi said. He told the club website that Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski have to be managed "like two diamonds".
What comes next
Spurs host Crystal Palace next Saturday with momentum they have not had all season. Chelsea face Liverpool in midweek without Palmer, and Alonso still needs a forward line that works without João Pedro.
Sources
- BBC Sport: Chelsea 0-2 Tottenham live and report
- Chelsea FC: Match report, Chelsea 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur
- The Guardian: Chelsea 0-2 Tottenham, as it happened
- Reuters via Al Jazeera: Arsenal join Man City at summit, Spurs shock Chelsea
- Football London: Every word De Zerbi said after Chelsea
- The Standard: De Zerbi issues Maddison injury update
- Tottenham Hotspur: Roberto's latest on Maddison
No comments yet