Chelsea were dominant in a fiery London derby at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night as they defeated their rivals 2-1 to push Spurs’ survival fight to the final weekend of the Premier League season. The emphatic result ended a seven-game winless run for the Blues, lifted them into eighth place and kept their slim European hopes very much alive heading into the final day.
Enzo Fernandez gave the hosts the lead in the 18th minute with a brilliant strike from distance, and then created the second goal brilliantly for Andrey Santos just after the hour mark, after a terrible Randal Kolo Muani back-pass was intercepted in midfield. Richarlison did pull one back in the 74th minute, assisted by Pape Matar Sarr, but the visitors could not find an equaliser despite their statistical dominance. Spurs had an xG of 1.72 to Chelsea’s poor 0.63, but the Blues made their moments count.
It is Roberto De Zerbi’s first defeat as Tottenham boss and a sixth successive derby loss against their city rivals, who continue to have the better of this fixture. The win for Chelsea has ramifications at both ends of the table, with Spurs precariously placed in 17th spot, just two points ahead of West Ham, but with a much superior goal difference.
Tottenham’s Survival Fight Goes Down to a Nervous Final Day at Home to Everton
Tottenham’s Premier League survival is now down to a clash with Everton at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this Sunday, with a point still realistically enough to keep them in the top flight due to their vastly superior goal difference over West Ham. De Zerbi’s men still enjoy a healthy goal difference advantage of 13 over the Hammers, and a draw will almost certainly be enough to secure their status for another campaign.
Meanwhile, West Ham take on Leeds on Sunday at the London Stadium and must win with the hope Spurs lose to have any realistic chance. Burnley and Wolverhampton Wanderers will be in the bottom three and go down, leaving just one place still to be decided in this two-horse race.
Chelsea make the trip to the Stadium of Light to face Sunderland; a win there would guarantee them no lower than eighth and a European place. The Black Cats themselves remain in the European mix on 51 points, meaning the Wearside clash doubles as a crucial qualification shoot-out for both sides.