On a drizzly evening at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Chelsea claimed a slender but telling victory over Tottenham, deepening a worrying trend for the home side in the London derby. The final scoreline — 0-1 — may suggest a tight affair, but the story of the match reveals a more dominant performance by Chelsea and another dismal display by Spurs.
The only goal arrived in the 34th minute when Moisés Caicedo wrestled possession from Micky van de Ven and squared the ball to João Pedro, who fired home from eight metres.
From the outset, Chelsea looked the sharper, more cohesive outfit. Their pressing was relentless, particularly through Caicedo, whose interception on the edge of the box directly led to the opener.
Caicedo’s ability to win the ball back appeared unmatched on the night, and his aggression in midfield set the tone for Chelsea’s control of the match. After the goal, Chelsea pressed for more, forcing Spurs’ goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario into a smart save deep in first-half injury time.
Tottenham never got into their groove. In fact, Tottenham recorded an expected goals figure of just 0.05 for the match — the lowest this season for a Premier League side — while Chelsea amassed an xG of 2.92.
The tone of the match spoke volumes. Tottenham started with some urgency but were quickly pinned back by Chelsea’s structure and intensity. Spurs’ usual attacking thrusts were blunted; their passing lacked penetration, their movement predictable.
At the back, the defence looked shaky. Van de Ven, in particular, was caught out for the goal when he lost the ball to Caicedo, and later substituted in the 73rd minute. Tottenham’s frustrations built. Two heavy-looking challenges — from Rodrigo Bentancur and Djed Spence — threatened to escalate.
Bentancur could well have seen red for a reckless challenge on Reece James but received only a yellow. The crowd’s mood soured as the first half ended.
Chelsea, meanwhile, could have sewn up the game earlier. They lacked only a killer second goal to ease the nerves. In the second half they continued to dominate possession and look dangerous — especially through Neto and Garnacho — but good defending and some fine saves by Vicario kept Tottenham alive.
The tactical discipline of Chelsea’s back four and midfield won out. Chelsea’s defence held firm, and they managed to keep Tottenham at bay despite the home side’s efforts.
For Tottenham, this defeat felt like one of those nights where nothing clicked. The build-up play lacked zip, the final pass was missing, and when they did recover the ball high up the pitch, the composure to turn pressure into chances was absent.
Before the goal they had done little to trouble Chelsea’s defence; after the goal they were largely inactive in the attacking sense. The boos at full time were as much a statement of frustration at performance as they were at the result.
For Chelsea, this result restores a sense of momentum following a disappointing home loss to Sunderland last week. They now face the challenge of maintaining this level of performance consistently if they are to press for a top-four finish.