Tottenham's incentive could not have been greater as they travelled to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea. Premier League survival was in their own hands.
They faced a Chelsea side whose form had been indifferent, and who had just suffered the disappointment of losing the FA Cup final to Manchester City.
Spurs started brightly, but once Chelsea went ahead through Enzo Fernandez there was a lack of urgency until it was too late, namely after Andrey Santos had put them two goals in arrears.
Santos' goal came just as head coach Roberto de Zerbi was about to make three substitutions, including James Maddison, who led lengthy Spurs protests to referee Stuart Attwell at the final whistle.
The point of contention was that penalty incident when Marc Cucurella clearly dragged Micky van de Ven to the floor, but the ruling was that the ball was not yet in play - a decision that infuriated Spurs.
In reality, despite a late flurry, Spurs did not produce enough creation or threat when the stakes were so high.
Now it all rides on Sunday's meeting with Everton at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium - with Spurs' top-flight status hanging in the balance.
Spurs know a point will almost certainly be enough to keep them in the Premier League, but nerves will be jangling after such poor form at home this season.