Chelsea put an end to Tottenham’s undefeated start to the Premier League season in a match that will be remembered for quite some time.
Tottenham, led by Ange Postecoglou, entered the game with a chance to reclaim the top spot on the table. Dejan Kulusevski scored the opening goal just six minutes into the game, setting the stage for a dramatic encounter. However, this was just the beginning of the excitement. Heung-min Son had a second goal disallowed, sparking a period of intense drama.
Destiny Udogie escaped a red card after a dangerous two-footed tackle, shortly before Raheem Sterling had an equalizer disallowed due to a handball violation. Meanwhile, Spurs defender Cristian Romero avoided a red card despite a questionable challenge on Levi Colwill.
Moises Caicedo believed he had scored the equalizer but was denied due to an offside call. However, Chelsea received a lifeline when a penalty was awarded for a high tackle by Romero on Enzo Fernandes inside the box. Romero was shown a red card, marking the fourth time he has been sent off since joining the Premier League. Cole Palmer successfully converted the penalty, shifting the momentum in Chelsea’s favor.
The first half went from bad to worse for Postecoglou as two standout players of the early Premier League season suffered injuries. First, Micky van de Ven left the pitch with a hamstring injury, followed by James Maddison.
The halftime break didn’t put an end to the chaos. Udogie received a second yellow card before the hour mark, leaving Tottenham with nine players and more than forty minutes to navigate with a two-man disadvantage.
Their resilience was eventually shattered when Nicolas Jackson scored in the 75th minute, adding two more goals in stoppage time to seal a remarkable 4-1 victory. Besides losing their perfect start, this defeat will have significant consequences for their upcoming matches.
Tottenham is scheduled to face Wolves on Saturday, but they will arrive at the Black Country with a severely depleted squad. Here’s a list of players who will either definitely miss the game or are at high risk of doing so:
1. Cristian Romero: Romero will be suspended for the next three league matches following his red card, leaving Tottenham without his services against Wolves, Aston Villa, and Manchester City.
2. Micky van de Ven: Van de Ven’s hamstring injury is described as “significant,” suggesting he could be out of action for an extended period, compounding Tottenham’s defensive woes.
3. Destiny Udogie: Udogie’s suspension will see him miss the trip to Wolves, necessitating further lineup adjustments for Spurs.
4. James Maddison: Maddison’s ankle injury is relatively more promising, and the extent of his availability for the upcoming game will be assessed. However, the quick turnaround for the Saturday lunchtime kickoff could impact his participation.
Other names which include Manor Solomon, Ivan Perisic, Ben Davies, and Ryan Sessegnon were already absent from the Tottenham squad against Chelsea. Of these, only Ben Davies is likely to return soon, as his injury is not considered serious, and he could rejoin the squad for the match against Wolves.
Tottenham Hotspur performance and stats
Tottenham Hotspur is currently 2nd in the Premier League with 26 points.
In the last 11 games, it has won 8 times, drawn twice, and lost once. In its last match, Tottenham Hotspur lost 1-4 against Chelsea.
It has a positive goal difference after scoring 23 goals and conceding 13.
Tottenham Hotspur will play the next match in Premier League against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday 11th of November in Wolverhampton. The prediction is Tottenham Hotspur winning the match.
