Chelsea vs Tottenham Report

Scorer: Fernandez 50’

Chelsea returned to the Premier League’s top four with a deserved 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge, as Enzo Fernández’s second-half header proved the difference.

It was a frustrating night for Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs, who suffered their ninth away league defeat of the season and offered little going forward in a subdued London derby.

Chelsea Dominate Early but Wasteful in Front of Goal

The Blues nearly opened the scoring inside 60 seconds when Trevoh Chalobah’s pass found Nicolas Jackson, only for a ricochet off Micky van de Ven to strike the post.

That early warning set the tone for the first half, as Tottenham’s defence looked shaky and Chelsea carved out a string of chances.

Marc Cucurella’s through ball picked out Malo Gusto, whose side-netting effort was one of several moments that had the Spurs backline scrambling.

Jackson later blazed over unmarked in the box, while Jadon Sancho forced Guglielmo Vicario into a sharp save after being played in by Pedro Neto.

Despite dominating proceedings, Enzo Maresca’s side lacked the final touch, and a combination of poor finishing and resilient (if unconvincing) Spurs defending ensured a goalless first half.

Fernández Breaks Through as VAR Drama Follows

Chelsea’s pressure was finally rewarded five minutes after the restart. A wicked delivery from Cole Palmer was met powerfully by Enzo Fernández, whose bullet header left Vicario with no chance and gave the Blues a fully merited lead.

The hosts thought they had doubled their advantage when Moisés Caicedo fired in a stunning volley after Spurs failed to clear a Fernández free-kick.

However, VAR ruled it out for a marginal offside in the build-up, denying Chelsea the cushion their performance arguably deserved.

Spurs Denied by VAR and Sánchez Heroics

Tottenham’s attacking efforts were few and far between, but they briefly believed they had equalised when Pape Matar Sarr’s speculative effort squirmed beneath Robert Sánchez. Yet again, VAR intervened, spotting a foul on Caicedo in the build-up and chalking the goal off.

A rare late opportunity fell to Son Heung-min, who stretched to meet Brennan Johnson’s cross at the far post, only to be denied by a superb close-range save from Sánchez.

That proved to be Tottenham’s final chance in a match where they managed just one shot on target.

What It Means

The victory sees Chelsea climb back to fourth, continuing their solid run of form and strengthening their push for Champions League qualification. It also marks their 10th win in the last 13 league meetings with Spurs — a fixture they’ve dominated in recent seasons.

For Tottenham, this latest defeat is another blow to their turbulent campaign under Postecoglou. Now down in 14th, they have lost nine away league matches – only Leicester (11) and Southampton (12) have fared worse on the road.

The result leaves them with a mountain to climb if they are to salvage anything from this season.

For more info on this game’s outcome, you may also visit:
Chelsea v Spurs, 2024/25 | Premier League