Mauricio Pochettino made a triumphant return to Tottenham with Chelsea in a chaotic and controversial match. Pochettino’s team managed to defeat his former club, who played with only nine players.
Pochettino’s return to Tottenham was overshadowed by an epic game that featured five goals, five more that were disallowed, two red cards, and several VAR decisions in one of the most frenetic matches in the history of the Premier League.
Tottenham started brightly and took the lead when Dejan Kulusevski’s sixth-minute shot deflected off Chelsea’s defender, Levi Colwill. However, Son Heung-min had an effort disallowed for offside as the home team looked to capitalize on their early dominance.
In a heated atmosphere, Chelsea also had two goals disallowed, one from Raheem Sterling and another from Moises Caicedo, ruled out for handball and offside, respectively.
The latter situation led to a Chelsea goal as a penalty was awarded for a harsh foul by Romero on his compatriot, Enzo Fernandez, resulting in the expulsion of the Spurs defender.
Chelsea’s summer signing, Cole Palmer, converted the penalty to level the match before Tottenham faced further setbacks due to a serious hamstring injury to key defender Micky van de Ven and an ankle problem for James Maddison, both of whom were substituted before halftime.
Tottenham faced an even greater disadvantage when Destiny Udogie was sent off ten minutes into the second half for a reckless tackle on Sterling, which earned him a second yellow card from referee Michael Oliver.
Ange Postecoglou, who also received a yellow card on the Spurs bench amid the chaos, gambled on maintaining a high defensive line despite having only nine players. However, Chelsea finally broke through their resistance 15 minutes before the end, with Raheem Sterling setting up Nicolas Jackson for an easy finish.
The game was far from over, and Tottenham came close to securing a stunning draw. Eric Dier had a superb finish disallowed for a marginal offside, and Rodrigo Bentancur headed just wide after beating Chelsea’s defensive line from a late free-kick.
In stoppage time, Jackson scored twice more to complete his hat-trick and make the final scoreline more comfortable than the evening had been for the visitors.
Lack of Discipline Costs Spurs on a Night That Promised So Much
Tottenham fans were in high spirits before the game, hoping to return to the top of the Premier League, but their hopes were dashed in a spectacular, incident-packed match.
It all started well with Kulusevski’s goal, but Tottenham paid a heavy price for Romero’s reckless indiscipline. Romero was fortunate not to be sent off earlier for a kick on Colwill, but there was no escape when he needlessly fouled Fernandez.
Udogie was also lucky not to be sent off before his eventual dismissal for a wild challenge on Sterling, and the Italian player left the overworked Oliver with no option when he tackled the same player early in the second half.
Postecoglou took a gamble by maintaining a high defensive line, and goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario acted as an emergency sweeper several times. However, just as Chelsea started to look frustrated, Tottenham’s defense was breached, and Jackson capitalized with his hat-trick.
In addition to the short-term pain of this defeat, Tottenham now faces long-term consequences from the chaos, including suspensions for Romero and Udogie, as well as injuries to Van de Ven and Maddison.
Tottenham supporters gave their players a rousing reception at the final whistle, but this was a painful night that could prove very costly in the long run.
Chelsea and Jackson Seize a Big Opportunity
Chelsea took their time to break down nine-man Tottenham but eventually unlocked the defense, with Senegalese striker Nicolas Jackson reaping the rewards.zzzzzzzzzzz
Pochettino’s team was already making inroads before Romero demonstrated his irresponsibility. However, once he and Udogie were sent off, Chelsea knew that anything other than a victory would be unthinkable.
The home side came within 15 minutes of pulling off an extraordinary draw before Sterling and Jackson finally cracked the code. This could be a landmark night for the 22-year-old striker, who has looked like a work in progress since his summer move to Stamford Bridge.
He comfortably converted three chances and left the field with the match ball, smiling in front of Chelsea’s elated fans.
Pochettino will acknowledge that this victory was not earned under normal circumstances, but he will also aim to use it as a springboard after a mediocre start to the campaign.
