Tottenham 3 Chelsea 4: Spurs blow it again as Cole Palmer scores two penalties in stunning comeback win
IT was a day when Tottenham proved themselves a bunch of tossers – on and off the pitch.
As fans tossed an avalanche of paper missiles at Chelsea players, Ange Postecoglou’s brittle troops tossed away a two-goal lead.
Spurs are now marooned in the bottom half of the table after one win in seven matches in all competitions – while Chelsea are threatening to stage an unlikely title challenge.
Enzo Maresca’s side, two-down in 12 minutes, somehow never looked like losing this spicy derby.
It was a crazy start, with left-back Marc Cucurella forced to change his boots after his slips led to goals from Dominic Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski.
But a Jadon Sancho pearler cut the deficit before Cole Palmer scored a pair of penalties either side of a wonderful assist for Enzo Fernandez to net the decisive third.
Thanks to the postponement of the Merseyside derby, we at least have the illusion of a genuine title race – Chelsea are now within five points of Liverpool, having played a game more than the leaders.
But what a mess for Big Ange – who dropped James Maddison, whose goals set up Tottenham’s only recent victory over Manchester City.
This was the definition of ‘Spursy’. There is no other team in the Premier League who can coast into an early two-goal lead and look scared by it.
And as for the fans, who pelted scrunched-up pieces of card at Chelsea players throughout the first half, they were an utter embarrassment.
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Their Aussie boss is struggling to stop a full-scale revolt from supporters – while Maresca, in sharp contrast, has made complete sense of Chelsea’s madhouse.
It was this fixture which ended Postecoglou’s honeymoon period – a crazy VAR-infested match which Spurs ended with nine men and Chelsea won 4-1.
As if taking this as motivation, Spurs went pedal-to-metal and hell-for-leather from the word go – aided and abetted by Cucurella’s boots.
It was a rapid counter attack from which Cucurella made his first slip, allowing Brennan Johnson to speed down the right and lash in a cross to the near post where Solanke got in front of Levi Colwill and poked home.
Chelsea’s chaotic start was exemplified by Moises Caicedo, taking a free-kick just outside his area, lamping at free-kick straight into the body of Romeo Lavia, five yards away.
Inside 12 minutes, it was 2-0, another pratfall from Cucurella, handing Kulusevski the space to dart inside, past three defenders, and steering his shot into the bottom corner.
Cristian Romero, just back from injury along with his central-defensive partner Micky Van de Ven, was forced off early on and replaced by Radu Dragusin.
Soon, Chelsea cut the deficit, with an outstanding individual goal from Sancho, who cut in from the left and filleted three defenders before he leathered his shot in off the far post.
The assist, by the way, was Cucurella’s – just as it was for Tottenham’s two.
The paper-chucking antics soon reached epidemic proportions, a Palmer corner delayed at length.
At half-time Spurs fans would be warned to stop being silly.
The match itself was wild, end-to-end and toe-to-toe – Palmer fell over his feet when Sancho offered him a glorious opportunity, Son curled one just over.
And then Fraser Forster made a magnificent double save to deny Palmer and then Pedro Neto.
It was feisty out there. Caicedo escaped a VAR check for a red card when he went studs up into the shin of Pape Matar Sarr.
And Sarr then produced a bar-trembling header from a Son Heung-Min corner.
Son was getting lively now, cutting back for Solanke, who shot straight at Robert Sanchez.
But Chelsea were right at it after the break and Sancho forced another great save from Forster, sticking out a big left hand to thwart the winger from close range.
Fernandez pinged one wide, as former Blue Timo Werner arrived in place of the limping Brennan Johnson to a chorus of boos from the away end.
Soon, Chelsea were level – a crazy challenge from Yves Bissouma upending Caicedo and, inevitably, Palmer walloping home the spot-kick.
Son should have restored Tottenham’s lead when he was sent clean through but shot wide across goal.
And then came the winner – Palmer’s crazy dancing feet toasting Destiny Udogie before his deflated pass was rammed home by Fernandez.
Sarr then barged over Palmer, who completed the job with a Panenka from the spot.
Son netted a consolation, stabbing home in the seventh minute of stoppage time.