Gary Neville did not mince his words during Chelsea’s 2-0 Premier League defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge. The former Manchester United defender took time to criticise Xabi Alonso’s side, who were outplayed by Roberto De Zerbi’s team.
An own goal from Mike Penders following a corner from Mateus Fernandes saw the scoreline move to 1-0 in the 77th minute. Then, three minutes later, Cole Palmer was shown a second yellow card. Mathys Tel then scored in the 87th minute to give Spurs their first league victory at the Bridge since April 2018. Tottenham also had a huge 68% of possession, while Chelsea managed only seven shots in the game. It is the fewest they have had in a league game this season. Speaking on commentary, Neville said:
“Tottenham outplayed Chelsea. Out-coached, everything. None of us expected Tottenham to come here and win today, but after 10-15 mins, that confidence did start to grow.”
“Chelsea have been awful, really. On the ball, they’ve been well short. Nowhere near the level. I am stunned.”
Neville was also unhappy with a first yellow card for Palmer after he charged into Fernandes. VAR checked the incident and let the yellow card stand, but at the time he said:
“I think that could be a red. If this wasn’t at Stamford Bridge, I think it’s a red.”
He then went on to criticise Morgan Rogers for only receiving a yellow card after making a reckless challenge on Conor Gallagher late on in the game. He feels the 24-year-old should have received a red card and Alonso should have made some substitutions:
“I think that’s a red. I do. He’s absolutely wellied him with no intent. That’s ludicrous from Rogers. They have lost it. Xabi Alonso needs to get them off.”
Jamie Redknapp said Palmer’s reaction was petulant and not like the calm player he is. He added that Penders had made a huge mistake as he made his first start in the Premier League in place of the injured Emiliano Martínez:
“He made a monumental mistake; it’s as simple as that. The ball comes in and where he goes wrong is that he comes with no authority.”
He added that the 21-year-old will need to learn from this.
“This Is Collective, This Is a Team Thing” – Xabi Alonso Reacts To Tottenham Defeat
Xabi Alonso did not point the finger in the wake of the 2-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur. It was his first defeat as manager at Stamford Bridge and third in eight league games.
After the final whistle, Alonso spoke to Sky Sports:
“I feel for everyone. This is collective, this is a team thing. We are all disappointed, but we need to move on.”
Alonso added that they were not good enough individually or collectively and the game was decided by the first goal. He added that he will talk to Palmer about his dismissal, but it will be a learning experience. The Blues are still sitting in 4th place on 13 points and have a busy time ahead of them with a Carabao Cup clash against Liverpool on Wednesday followed by a game against Manchester United on Saturday.