It was a tight London derby at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Chelsea won 1-0 against Spurs. Thanks to a composed finish by Joao Pedro. He scored in the 34th minute. Chelsea went home with three points. They could have scored more. The home side looked flat. They did not look like a threat at all.
The Decisive Goal
Midway through the first half, Moises Caicedo won possession near the edge of Tottenham’s box. He passed Micky van de Ven and passed it to Pedro. He banged it into the roof of the net. It ended Pedro’s goal drought. This was his first since August.
Chelsea’s Control & Missed Chances
From kick-off, Chelsea had the better of chances. They forced several saves from Tottenham keeper Guglielmo Vicario, especially from Pedro and Pedro Neto. Their expected-goals (xG) figure indicated dominance (2.92 vs Spurs’ 0.05) according to one source. Yet only one goal came. They lacked clinical finish despite controlling large chunks of the match.
Tottenham’s Woes at Home
Tottenham looked lifeless in attack. They managed only three shots and just one on target — their lowest xG ever in a Premier League game (0.05) according to statistics. Home form continues to be a worry. Fans were clearly frustrated by the lack of spark.
Key Players & Tactical Notes
Caicedo (Chelsea) was standout: his steal led to the goal and he dominated midfield.
Pedro finally broke his scoring drought, which lifts some pressure off him.
Tottenham’s defence was sloppy — the goal came from a simple turnover.
Chelsea now move to 17 points and jump into fourth place, level with Tottenham on points but behind on goal difference.
Author’s Insight
This result underlines two things. First, a team with discipline and structure can grind out wins. This is even if they don’t score a lot of goals. Second, Tottenham must urgently find attacking players at home. One cannot dominate possession yet score nothing in the final third. For Chelsea, the win brings confidence. On the other hand for Tottenham, it’s another home setback they cannot ignore.
As featured on Chelseanews.com