Tottenham implode again as Cole Palmer leads Chelsea to stunning comeback - 5 talking points
TOTTENHAM 3-4 CHELSEA: Spurs press the self-destruct button, surrendering their early two-goal lead by conceding two penalties for Cole Palmer to covert in a Blues comeback
Cole Palmer of Chelsea celebrates
Cole Palmer netted two cool penalties in Chelsea's turnaround (
Image: Darren Walsh/Getty Images)
Chelsea came from 2-0 down to win and go second in the Premier League with a statement win over sorry Tottenham.
Spurs were 2-0 up inside 11 minutes as two Marc Cucurella slips helped aided Dominic Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski. But Chelsea hit back swiftly when Jadon Sancho halved the deficit with a powerful strike off the inside of the post from the edge of the box.
The frantic nature of the match continued, with both teams intent on playing in a carefree end-to-end style. Cole Palmer missed a glorious chance before Fraser Forster made an impressive double save to deny Palmer and Pedro Neto.
Pape Sarr hit the crossbar with a header from a corner shortly after being caught by a Moises Caicedo tackle which could easily have warranted a red card. Kulusevski also avoided VAR intervention after catching Romeo Lavia with an elbow before the half-time whistle blew.
Forster was called into action again after the break, keeping out Sancho, but couldn't prevent Palmer from making it 2-2 from the penalty spot after Yves Bissouma caught Caicedo in the box.
It got even worse for Tottenham when Enzo Fernandez smashed in a loose ball to make it 3-2 before Sarr pushed over Palmer to allow him to show off with a panenka penalty to rub salt in the wounds before Son Heung-min netted to cut the deficit in added time. Here are the talking points from an eventful match in north London as Chelsea leapfrog Arsenal into second, going within four points of leaders Liverpool, who have a game in-hand after Saturday's Merseyside Derby was postponed.
1. Boots to blame
Marc Cucurella's boots needed changing after two very costly slips (
Image:
Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
Cucurella had one of the most ludicrous starts to a Premier League match you’re ever likely to see. From a neutral perspective it was pure comedy – think Sideshow Bob standing on rake after rake. From a Chelsea perspective it looked like self-sabotage. From a Tottenham one, it was absolutely ideal.
First, the Chelsea left-back slipped over to present the ball to Brennan Johnson, who raced clear and crossed for Solanke to make it 1-0. Then, just six minutes later, he was at it again, this time watching as Kulusevksi found the bottom corner.
To make it even more enjoyable/ridiculous/embarrassing (delete as appropriate), Cucurella then ran straight over to the sidelines, shrugging his shoulders, to change his boots. “Don't blame anyone else – it's your own fault son!” an incredulous Jamie Carragher said on Sky Sports. “Absolutely schoolboy stuff. Embarrassing.”
2. Timely reminder from Sancho
Jadon Sancho smashed in Chelsea's opener (
Image:
Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Sancho has been in the football wilderness for so long that it has been easy to forget just how incisive and exciting he can be at his best. But this is a player who not long ago cost £73million after dazzling for Borussia Dortmund.
It must be good, considering Chelsea felt the need to bring him in on loan from Manchester United, despite already having an embarrassment of riches in wide areas. After 17 minutes of this game, it all started to make sense: Sancho received the ball wide on the left, skipped inside and unleashed a powerful and accurate shot which cannoned into the back of the net via the inside of the post. His strike dampened the raucous atmosphere, but thankfully only for a brief moment.
3. VAR takes a step back
Moises Caicedo and Dejan Kulusevski both avoided red cards (
Image:
BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images)
On another day, there could easily have been two red cards in the first half. But in the end, referee Anthony Taylor kept his cards in his pocket and left the game as 11 vs 11, rather than 10 vs 10, as VAR decided not to intervene.
Caicedo flew into a challenge on Sarr, missing the ball and catching the Spurs midfielder on the shin with his studs. The stand-in Chelsea right-back probably feared the worst, but after a brief check, the VAR said there wasn't "excessive force" and Caicedo survived.
Minutes later and there was a very similar decision at the other end of the pitch. Kulusevski caught Lavia on the side of the head with his elbow as he tried to close him down. The Chelsea midfield went down holding his head, but VAR quickly dismissed the claim for a lack of "excessive force" again - much to the bemusement of Carragher on commentary.
4. Palmer is unstoppable
Cole Palmer netted a penalty to make it 2-2 (
Image:
Darren Walsh/Getty Images)
A game this open suited Palmer down to the ground, but it took two penalties for him to make his mark on it. Bissouma did his best to create a new dictionary definition for 'stonewall penalty' and Palmer did the honours, sending Forster the wrong way with ease. His second spot-kick was even better: a cheeky panenka straight down the middle to sit the Spurs goalkeeper down.
Pressure doesn't seem to affect the Chelsea playmaker and he overtook Yaya Toure's record of 11 perfect penalties in the Premier League by making it 12 out of 12. His form over 2024 is ridiculous: the 22-year-old has been involved in 37 Premier League goals (25 goals, 13 assists)this year - that is the best record of any Chelsea player in the competition's history and there are still plenty of games to come.
5. Ange under pressure
Ange Postecoglou is under huge pressure (
Image:
Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
After such a dream start, it turned into a nightmare afternoon for Ange Postecoglou. He started it with the boost of having Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven back in the starting line-up following injuries, but finished it with both of them having been forced off with injuries.
Much has been made of Postecoglou's easy-on-the-eye playing style, but there is simply no consistency. You have no idea which Spurs is going to turn up week after week. The one that turned up on Sunday was naive and was punished for it.
Tottenham now have just one win from their last seven games in all competitions. Postecoglou isn't responsible for Bissouma and Sarr's challenges, but he is responsible for the gung-ho ethos of the side.
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