Chelsea Tottenham defeat at Stamford Bridge
The Chelsea Tottenham defeat finished 2-0 at Stamford Bridge, a scoreline that overturned a long run of home control in this fixture. Spurs had won only one of their previous 36 league visits to Chelsea, yet Roberto De Zerbi's side dominated from the opening quarter and were rarely troubled once they led.
An own goal from goalkeeper Mike Penders and a stunning late strike from Mathys Tel settled the match. Gary Neville, on commentary, called Chelsea "awful" and said they had been "out-coached", describing it as the worst performance of Xabi Alonso's short tenure so far.
Neville said nobody expected Tottenham to win at Stamford Bridge, but that their confidence grew after 10 to 15 minutes. "On the ball, they've been well short. Nowhere near the level. I am stunned," he added.
Cole Palmer sent off after early VAR reprieve
Palmer's night ended three minutes after Penders' own goal, when he caught Conor Gallagher late and was shown a second yellow card by referee Chris Kavanagh. Chelsea were already unravelling, and the dismissal removed their main creative outlet for the closing half-hour.
He had earlier escaped a straight red. After Mateus Fernandes deliberately handled to stop a counter, Palmer confronted the Spurs midfielder when the whistle had gone and barged into him, sparking a melee between the sides. Sky Sports News understands the incident was checked and cleared by John Brooks on VAR, and Palmer was booked.
Jamie Redknapp called the reaction "petulant" and out of character for a player usually known for composure. Morgan Rogers was also booked for a late challenge on Gallagher that Neville believed could have been a red, arguing Chelsea could have been reduced to nine men.
Mike Penders error exposes goalkeeper shortage
Penders was making his first start in place of the injured Emiliano Martinez. He failed to claim a corner with any authority and tipped the ball into his own net, a mistake Redknapp called "monumental", adding that the goalkeeper was bullied, hesitated, and will need an arm around him before he plays again.
Martinez fractured his jaw against Everton and has undergone facial surgery, leaving him sidelined for the foreseeable future. Chelsea loaned Robert Sanchez to Como after Martinez arrived from Aston Villa, so the back-up against Spurs was 23-year-old Teddy Sharman-Lowe, who has no competitive senior appearance for the club. Gabriel Slonina remains at Chelsea but has not been named in a squad since pre-season.
Midfield control and the Liverpool test
Neville located the damage in midfield, where Palmer, Rogers, Jordan Henderson and Moises Caicedo could not get near Tottenham, whose combinations and patterns ran the game. Chelsea also started without a recognised striker because of the surprise absence of Joao Pedro, and Danny Welbeck was not introduced until the 88th minute, with the score already 2-0.
Neville questioned how Welbeck gets a game and said disciplinary problems had cost Alonso, though he stressed the larger issue was being outplayed. Chelsea's next fixture is against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, a match that now carries added weight for a goalkeeper and a midfield still searching for control.
The original report is from skysports.com.
