It was another fruitful trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Chelsea getting a convincing 1-0 win.
It was a comfortable day at the office for Enzo Maresca and co.
Joao Pedro scored Chelsea’s first and only goal in the 34th minute, and that was enough to sink Thomas Frank’s side. Chelsea dominated possession, created plenty of chances, and should have scored more. But three points takes them level with Spurs, so no complaints.
As the game was winding down, Frank was looking to find inspiration from the bench, making a triple substitution. That’s when the away end erupted.
Chelsea fans mocked Xavi Simons as he was subbed off
In the final weeks of the window, Tottenham and Chelsea were battling to sign Xavi Simons.
He was a name that dominated headlines all summer, and he ended up in North London. But Chelsea may have dodged a bullet with Simons, who has struggled to adjust to life in the Premier League.
He didn’t start this match, but came on after just seven minutes when Lucas Bergvall sustained a head injury.
Chelsea’s press stifled him and his Spurs teammates for the majority of the game.
When his number came up on the fourth official’s board, Chelsea fans made sure to get a dig in at the player who turned them down.
They jeered and mocked the Dutchman, clearly taking his summer decision to heart.
Chelsea own Tottenham in this London derby
It’s yet another win for the Blues over the Lilywhites.
That makes it ten wins from their last 12 meetings, proving yet again that Chelsea have their number.
The scenes of jubilation that followed the final whistle show how much this win means to Maresca and his players. It’s another convincing performance that they can now build on and gain back the ground they lost in the table.
That’s what it means in a wider context. In terms of the win against this opposition in a vacuum, it’s just business as usual.
Onto the next.