Chelsea 0-2 Tottenham - Red Mist and a Night to Forget at the Bridge

That one hurt. We lost 0-2 to Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, and we handed them most of it ourselves.

Spurs had won only one of their previous 34 Premier League visits to Chelsea. They had not kept a clean sheet at the Bridge since December 1986. Goal.com called it their first league win here since April 2018. We gave them all of that in about ten minutes late on.

A flat first hour

Xabi Alonso made two big calls. He started 19-year-old Geovany Quenda and played Morgan Rogers through the middle rather than Danny Welbeck. We lined up with Mike Penders in goal, a back three of Lacroix, Colwill and Acheampong, and Moises Caicedo as captain in midfield.

It never clicked. Spurs had 70% of the ball in the first half, and we looked second best for long spells. Over the whole game we had just 32% possession and an xG of 0.46, according to Goal.com. We managed only seven attempts, according to Sky Sports.

Antonin Kinsky did have to make saves from Cole Palmer, Jordan Henderson and Rogers. Those were moments, though, not sustained pressure. A home game against a London rival should not feel this passive.

Palmer’s escape, then his exit

Earlier in the second half Palmer escaped a straight red card for barging into Mateus Fernandes. Let’s face it, we were lucky. He needed to calm down, and he didn’t.

Then came the own goal. In the 77th minute Fernandes swung in a corner. Penders, under pressure from Jan Paul van Hecke, punched it into his own net. It was a bad error, and it came at the worst moment.

Palmer’s night then fell apart. He was shown a second yellow for standing on Conor Gallagher, and the red came at around the 80th minute. He had picked up two yellows in nine minutes. Neto was booked in the 79th as the frustration spread.

With ten men and a goal down, we needed a miracle. Instead Mathys Tel finished it with about ten minutes left, in the 87th minute. It was a solo goal from deep on the left. He cut inside and fired into the bottom-left corner. We had no answer.

Alonso’s reaction

Alonso did not dodge it. He said Chelsea “do not think we were at our best level”. I agree with him, and I’d go further. Roberto De Zerbi said Spurs “are improving a lot in our mentality”. That should sting, because those are the qualities we want to see from our own side.

There is a pattern here too. Chelsea have conceded eight set-piece goals this season, double any other side. The own goal came from a corner, so this is not a one-off. It needs fixing on the training pitch.

Player ratings

Ratings are from Goal.com.

Mike Penders - 4: The own goal decided the game and he can’t escape it.
Lacroix - 6: Steady enough in a back line that was pushed back all afternoon.
Colwill - 6: Did his job without any real drama.
Acheampong - 6: Solid, but part of a side that gave up the initiative.
Neto - 7: One of our better players. He was booked in the 79th minute.
Moises Caicedo - 7: Our captain kept fighting when little else was working.
Jordan Henderson - 6: Forced a save from Kinsky but could not take control of the middle.
Hato - 6: Replaced by Palestra in the 65th minute.
Cole Palmer - 3: A big talent with a night to forget. Two yellows in nine minutes and the red cost us.
Geovany Quenda - 5.5: A brave pick for a 19-year-old, but it was a quiet game.
Morgan Rogers - 5.5: Tested Kinsky but did not do enough through the middle. He was booked in stoppage time.
Palestra - 6: Came on for Hato in the 65th minute.
Estevao - 6: Replaced Quenda in the 72nd minute but could not change the game.
Welbeck: Came on for Neto in the 88th minute and was not rated.
Xabi Alonso - 4: Goal.com marked the manager down, and with only seven attempts it’s hard to argue.

What next?

This was not a collapse over 90 minutes. It was a flat performance that two moments turned into a defeat. We had been poor before Penders’ error and Palmer’s red card, and we need to face that.

Alonso has to find some spark in attack, sort out our set pieces and keep Palmer’s temper in check. The reaction on the pitch is what counts now. For a reminder of how tight these games have been, read our report on Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Chelsea. You can also find more in our match reports section or the Blog.

I still believe in this group, but they need to show it quickly. Up the Blues.