Roberto De Zerbi’s team are finally showing their true selves after a stuttering start
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Sam Tabuteau, Sports Reporter
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On a wet and wild evening in west London, Tottenham bared their teeth and held their nerve to register their first win at Stamford Bridge since 2018 and record back-to-back wins for only the third time in the last 12 months.
Tottenham’s record at Stamford Bridge needs no explanation. This is just their second win in 42 attempts at Chelsea’s home ground and their second in 15 games home or away.
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Under Roberto De Zerbi, though, Spurs are beginning to develop a fearlessness and an identity that had Xabi Alonso’s fledgling Chelsea team worried all night.
Without Joao Pedro in the side, Chelsea struggled to exert the sort of authority they have become used to in this fixture, and Spurs took their opportunity with a punchy performance that breathes new life into a season that had looked to be slipping away from them before the international break.
De Zerbi took a risk in starting James Maddison, and may well pay the consequences after he was withdrawn early into the second half. But the Englishman’s quick feet and ability to find space between the lines gave Spurs confidence and a platform to push on for a historic victory.
As was the case against Manchester United two weeks ago, Spurs played with intent and direction, dictating the game on their terms.
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The midfield pivot of Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali was given a rare chance to impress, and it was their composure, physicality and intent which gave Spurs the edge.
Spurs spent £185million to bring the pair to the club over the summer, but their minutes together have been limited, with Fernandes adapting to a new club and new expectations.
Injuries and suspensions gave De Zerbi little option other than to start Fernandes. But he excelled with a performance that combined neat first-time passes with arcing switches of play and an unshakeable robustness to come out fighting from a game where challenges flew in from all angles.
It was a rare win for Spurs over Chelsea
PA
Spurs, winless in their previous four away game this season, brought power and passion to the occasion. Chelsea, on the other hand, wilted as the weather closed in.
Spurs have come back from the international break re-energised. They were unlucky to only take a point against United, while they showed their ruthlessness to beat a stubborn Coventry side on Monday.
The opening goal may have been a stroke of luck, with Mike Penders punching the ball into his own net, but there was nothing fortunate about the final result, and Mathys Tel’s finish from the edge of the box was no less than they deserved.
De Zerbi knows what this result means. Unblemished by what has gone before, he and his players have written their own history in this fixture and have given themselves the result and performance their well-heeled new era needed after a stuttering start.
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